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REV. MR. STEARNS 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



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HISTORICAL DISCOURSE, 



COMMEMORATIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE 



S'lxsi |3r(0bi}t(viaii Cljurcl), 



IN NEWBURYPORT, 



DELIVERED AT THE 



iFIRST CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, JAN. 7, 1846. 



By JONATHAN F. STEARNS, Pastor. 



NEWBURYPORT: 

PUBLISHED BY JOHN G. TILTON. 

1846. 



f 



NEWBURYPORT, Jan. 15, 1840, 



Rev. and Dear Sir; 



The undersigned, a Committee of the First Presbyterian Society^ 
would express to you their sincere thanks for the very interesting and 
instructive Discourse, delivered by you on the recent Centennial Anniver- 
sary, and would respectfully request a copy of the same for publication. 

Hoping that you may accede to our wishes, we are, Dear Sir, with 
sentiments of respect, • 

Truly Yours, 

MOSES PETTINGELL, ) 

EZRA LUNT, V Committee, 

ROGER S. HOWARD, ^ 



Swiwe tmiaown 



HASKELL Ss MOORE, PRINTERS, 
No. 4 Washington Street, . . . Bostok. 



The dates, uniformly given in the following narrative, prior to 1752, are, 
as respect the month and day of the month, in the Old Style. This was 
thought to be, on the whole, the preferable method, as the dates could, in 
this way, be seen at once to correspond to those of the documents from 
which they are taken. It will be very easy, however, for the reader to 
reduce them to the present mode of reckoning, by adding, in each instance, 
eleven days to the date given. Thus the date of the organization of the 
Church is given, in the Church Records, and in the present narrative, as 
the 3d of January. According to the present reckoning, the true anni- 
versary of that event is on the fourteenth. The same reduction must be 
applied to the events which follow. 

In preparing this discourse the authorities relied upon have been, 1st, the 
Records and files of the Church. 2d, a manuscript statement, supposed to 
have been presented to the Legislature of the State, containing copies of 
votes of the First Church in Newbury, and correspondence between the 
aggrieved of that Church and the pastor, with the result of the exparte 
council, called by the aggrieved. 3d, a copy of the result of the exparte 
council, subsequently called by the Church and pastor. 4th, the ecclesias- 
tical files of the State, containing petitions and remonstrances from the 
different parties, and the originals of a somewhat extended correspondence 
between the aggrieved of the third Church in Newbury and their pastor. 
5th, the Records of the First and Third Churches. 6th, the manuscript 
journal of the Rev. Jonathan Parsons. 7th, a manuscript collection of letters 
written by Mr. Parsons, and nov/ in the possession of some cf his descend- 
ants. 8th, Prince's Christian History, Tucker's "Brief Account," and a 
variety of miscellaneous pamphlets and volumes. 

The author would tender his sincere thanks to the Clerks of the First 
Church in Newbury and the First Church in Newburyport, for their polite- 
ness in allowing him the use of their Records. Also, to Joshua Coffin, 
Esq, and others, for valuable documents furnished by them. 



BI SCOUR SE. 



Psalm Ixxviii : 2-— 7. 

1 v<Till utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known and 
lour fathers have told us ; v/e will not hide them from their children, 
shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength 
and tlie wonderful works that he hath done ; for he established a testimony 
in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, 
tJiat they should make them known to their children; that the generation 
■to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who 
should arise and declare them to their children ; that they might set their 
kope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. 

The passage of "Scripture just recited, no less than the 
present occasion, invites us to review and remember, that 
we may transmit to those who come after us, the history 
of God's goodness to us as a people. 

The planting of a Church and the gathering of a religious 
society, are among the most important events in the history 
of any community. What influences for good or for evil, 
will be shed abroad from the fruit and leaves of that tree ! 
If a true Church, established upon true principles, maintain- 
ing the faith of the Lord Jesus, and built on him, as its 
chief corner-stone, how salutary will be the effects of its 
existence. If a false or corrupt Church — a Church designed 
to inculcate false doctrine, or maintain the forms without 

the substance of the Gospel, how deplorable will be the 

1* 



consequences to multitudes ! Such as the Churches are, in 
a given community, such, as a general rule, will be the 
character of the people at large. 

The Church, whose first centennial anniversary we now 
celebrate, (App. 1.) had its origin at a period of jio com- 
mon interest. The " Great Awakening," which commenced 
about the year seventeen hundred and forty, is deservedly 
regarded as an era in the history of the Churches in New 
England. Then a change was begun in their character 
which is felt, far and wide, to this day, — a change which, 
we trust in God, will not cease to be admired and honored, 
till the dawning of the glory of the latter day shall dim, 
by its excess of brightness, all former communications of 
the light of heaven. As this Church was emphatically, and 
perhaps beyond almost any other in this region, the child 
of that remarkable impulse, it seems proper before proceed- 
ing to its own particular history, to take a hasty glance at 
the general features of the crisis at which it originated. 

The first Churches of New England were established on 
the most strictly evangelical foundation. They believed 
and professed the great principles of the^protestant reforma- 
tion, with remarkable affection and strictness. Their cor- 
ner-stone was the doctrine of justification by faith only, 
good works being the necessary fruits of faith, and thereby 
its evidence, but by no means the meritorious cause of sal- 
vation. They believed, as fully, in the necessity of a 
renovation of the sinner's heart, by which its whole char- 
acter and tendencies might be changed, the dominion of 
sin broken, the life of God in the soul enkindled, and the 
whole spiritual man created anew in God's likeness. This 
change, they ascribed wholly to the Divine spirit, working 
indeed, ordinarily, not without means, but at the same time 
so employing these, as to impart to them no share in the 
glory of the great result. True piety, in their estimation, 



was a product of regeneration, and consisted, not in any 
outward performances, nor even in the most blameless out- 
ward morality, but in that inward conformity of the heart 
to God, that love to him and communion with him, of 
which outward goodness is but the necessary manifestation. 
Under the influence of these doctrines, preached earnestly 
by such men as Shepard, and Cotton, and Norton, and 
Mitchell, and Hooker, and Stone, " the word of God grew 
and multiplied ;" and the preachers, themselves, full of the 
spirit of their divine message, could rejoice that they seldom 
preached, without some visibly good effect upon the hearts 
and consciences of their hearers, and without finding some, 
who had before been careless, beginning to inquire, " What 
shall I do to be saved ?" 

But this happy and very promising commencement was 
not destined to perpetuate its influence. The spirituality 
of the Churches began at an early day visibly to decline, 
and when the first century closed, there was great occasion, 
as the eye of Christian love looked abroad over the land, to 
exclaim, " How has the gold become dim and the most 
fine gold changed." First, there was manifested a great 
decline of spiritual vitality. Religion became more a 
matter of profession, and form, and less an experience of 
the heart. Then the boundaries between the Church and 
the world became less distinct. Multitudes became mem- 
bers of the Church, who gave no evidence that they were 
truly regenerate. Church discipline was neglected. Im- 
morality invaded the sacred enclosure. The preaching 
became less discriminating and pungent. The doctrines 
of the ancient faith, long neglected, and reduced in the 
minds of the people to a dead letter, were fast gliding away 
from the popular creed, and were on the eve of being 
displaced for another system. 

Such was the condition of a large portion of the Churches 



8 

of New England, when the great change to which I have 
alhided broke upon them in its power. Ah-eady had the 
morning star shone forth, in the great revival at Northamp- 
ton, five years previous, under the faithful preaching of the 
old doctrines* by the celebrated Jonathan Edwards. But 
the whole horizon began now to be illuminated. The 
whole land soon glowed beneath the brightness of the 
risen sun. Under the preaching of such men as Whitefield' 
and Tennent, men evidently raised up to perform a special 
work, the impulse spread like electric flame. It stirred 
to its inmost depths the compact population of the larger 
commercial towns. It penetrated the interior villages. 
Churches which had long since " settled upon their lees" 
now began to feel within them a strange fermentation. 
Old respectability, proud of its decent forms, began to find 
the sceptre of its influence loosening in its grasp, and the 
legitimacy of its long dominion boldly questioned, by a 
race, professing to have been just now turned from darkness 
unto marvellous light. 

The effect of this new impulse fell, as might have been 
expected, most heavily on the pastors of the churches. 
Secure of their support by the aid of the civil law, pledging 
all the real and personal estate, within certain geographical 
limits, for the fulfilment of their pecuniary contracts ; and 
ministering to a people, not desirous of great pastoral fidel- 
ity, to the disturbance of their slumbering consciences, a 
large part of them had settled down into a dull routine of 
Sabbath day performances, and were spending their week 
day hours, when not employed in the preparation of their 

*It is a fact worthy of special attention, that the same doctrine of 
justification by faith only, which in the hands of Luther was the life and 
soul of the Protestant Reformation, was, in the hands of Edwards, the 
means of imparting the first impulse to that great awakening, which 
revived to new life the decayed and slumbering Churches of this Country. 



9 

hasty discourses, in the improvement of their parsonage 
lands, the indulgence of their Hterary tastes, or in friendly 
correspondence and social intercourse with each other, and 
with those distinguished men in civil life who courted 
their society and respected their respectability, or sought to 
avail themselves, for their own purposes, of their unbounded 
influence. Many of the ministers of that day, it is sup- 
posed, were men who had never experienced, in their own 
hearts, the power of the faith which they professed to 
teach. Many had become very sceptical in regard to its 
fundamental doctrines. And even those who were at heart 
faithful men, and desired sincerely the spiritual welfare of 
their flocks, infected to a great extent with the surrounding 
atmosphere, had become over cautious, in regard to every 
thing like excitement in religion, and, to avoid ofl!ence, 
dwelt chiefly on those vague generalities, which at best 
play round the head but come not near the heart. 

Upon a clergy so secure and slumberous, the great 
awakening burst forth like the shock of an earthquake. 
Some aroused tliemselves, like the five wiser virgins when 
the bridegroom came, and made haste to welcome the 
wonderful guest. Some at first acted the prudent part 
of bending to the storm, thinking to let it pass over them 
unresisted, and blow by. Others, really friendly to what- 
ever was good and genuine in the work of grace, were yet 
alarmed by the evils which attended it, and, perhaps too 
much influenced by the opinion of some whom they deemed 
wise and judicious, run well for a little season and then 
were hindered. 

It was not long, however, before the party lines among 
the pastors of the Churches became quite prominent. 
When the famous Whitefield first came to Boston, all the 
clergy there, and in the neighboring towns, with scarce an 
exception, welcomed him with open arms. A few years 



10 

passed, and a considerable party among them had taken an 
entirely different view of his character and influence. His 
faults were magnified, his good depreciated. Pulpits were 
shut against him. and pamphlets warned the public to 
beware of his fanatical influence. 

But it is not easy to stop an earthquake when it has 
commenced its motion, nor to stay the progress of a hurri- 
cane by the rebuke of human authority. The popular 
mind had been roused, and the excitement could be quelled 
only by the voice of truth. Unfortunately for those who 
would restore the calm, truth Avas mainly on the side of 
their opponents. The people saw that the new doctrines, 
were, after all, only those which the fathers of New Eng- 
land taught, which were acknowledged in the confessions 
of faith of their own Churches, and in which, in childhood, 
they themselves had been instructed from the Assembly's 
Catechism. They saw, too, that the effects produced by 
them, were, in the main, the legitimate results of those 
principles. And why then should the respected pastors of 
the churches wish to oppose the preaching of those doc- 
trines, and the production of those effects ? 

The result was such as might have easily been antici- 
pated. The coldness, which so many Christian ministers 
exhibited amidst the general fervor, led many to doubt the 
reality of their own conversion, and the sincerity of their 
professed attachment to the ancient faith ; and what was 
doubtless true of many, soon began to be asserted boldly 
of the whole. The cord that bound the religious commu- 
nity together was now broken. The old decencies were 
despised as sheer hypocrisy. The influence of the pastors 
was no longer heeded, because the people had lost 
confidence in their sincere attachment to the cause of 
piety. Men of more zeal than knowledge now became, in 
many instances; the leaders of public opinion, and in the 



11 

anarcliy which must necessarily have ensued, all sorts of 
wild fire, mingling with the flame of newly kindled piety, 
burned unchecked till it became uncontrollable.* 

Far be it from me to approve the disorders and irregular- 
ities which attended that wonderful excitement. There was 
unquestionably much everywhere which the serious Christ- 
ian must and ought to deplore. But what is the chaff to 
the wheat ? The legitimate leaders in the sacramental 
host of God's elect had declined their trust. The battle 
was for the inheritance, transmitted from the worthiest of 
fathers, — the inheritance of puritan faith, dearest of all 
others to the genuine New Englander. It was not so 
much a revolution, as a restoration, that they wefe now 

* The evils likely to result from the encouragement of ignorant laymen 
and youth destitute of all proper experience, to usurp the functions of the 
Christian ministry, were early foreseen and predicted by some of the most 
eminent promoters of the revival. But they had greater evils of an oppo- 
site character to contend with, and this fact neutralized, in a great degree, 
the influence of their admonitions. It is well known to all who are famil- 
iar with those times, that a prominent subject of controversy was the 
necessity of an educated ministry. The revival party insisted that grace 
in the heart is of more importance than learning in the head ; and their 
opposers, on the other hand, so magnified the importance of human learn- 
ing, as to cast into the shade that of personal piety. Both were partly 
right and partly wrong. It must be said, however, in favor of those who 
seemed to despise education in their zeal for personal religion, that, of the 
two, they were contending for by far the more important point. It was 
the point likewise which, for a considerable time previous, had been most 
neglected. Had all the educated ministers of the community possessed 
the spirit of Colman, and Edwards, and Sewall, and Prince, no outcry 
would have been made, we may be sure, against human learning in the 
ministry — certainly no disposition would have been manifested to under- 
value it, as an important collateral qualification. But the great dearth of 
such men at that important crisis, and on the other hand the violent 
opposition which the revival ^covmtered from some, eminent for their 
intellectual attainments, produced, in many hasty minds, the impression, 
that great learning is unfavorable to ardent piety. Hence their confidence 
was transferred to another class, and the unskilfulness of their guides often 
led them lamentably astray. 



12 

to contend for, not a conquest, but a recovery, of what had 
been msidiously stolen away, in an hour of forgetfulness. 
And should the people hesitate ? In the absence of their 
regular leaders, they must lead themselves. In all their 
ignorance, they must march on, with such a degree of 
regularity as mere soldiers of the rank and file were able to 
secure. Who can wonder that there was little discipline 
among them ? Who can wonder that the lawless mingled 
in their ranks, and obtained at times a temporary ascend- 
ancy ? Who can wonder that the best disposed among 
them were chargeable with many things, which their 
posterity must censure, and which they themselves, when 
they had time for calm review, had occasion to deplore ? 

The prevailing spirit of that movement, was, we may 
not doubt, that of living Christianity. There was, truly, 
as those engaged in it believed, a glorious work of divine 
grace upon the hearts of individuals, and a glorious refor- 
mation accomplished in the Church at large. Great princi- 
ples, long withdrawn from notice, and almost sunk into 
oblivion, were restored to their ancient supremacy. The 
faith, practice and experience of the puritans was re- 
vived. Religion flourished again. And as for the 
disorders, which unhappily attended its resuscitation, these 
were soon made to disappear before the power of intelligent 
and sober piety. 

In the general excitement,, the people of Newbury, it 
appears, largely participated. How far the Churches here, 
with their pastors, had become infected with the prevailing 
degeneracy, it may not be easy at the present day exactly 
to determine. Within the bounds of what is now included 
in the towns of Newbury and T>fewbury port, there were 
then existing two Congregational parishes, called the first 
and third parishes in Newbury ; now the first in Newbury 
and the first in Newburyport. 



13 

The pastor of the first Church in Newbury was then 
advanced in hfe, and of a peculiar temperament. He set 
his face, from the beginning, sternly against the new 
movement. The promoters of it, he did not hesitate to 
address by the opprobrious epithet of '^ Schemers," and 
" New Schemers," which their adversaries had applied to 
them. He told them to their face, that he presnmed, they 
had been inventing falsehoods against him, for said he, " I 
never yet knew a schemer that would not He." The name 
of " new light men," sometimes given them, he admitted 
might be applicable, for he continued, '' Satan being now 
especially transformed into an angel of light, hath trans- 
formed his followers into his likeness, in regard of the new 
light they pretend unto." He even suffered himself, it is 
said, on one occasion, to become so excited, as to arm 
himself with a whip, und(^T his cloak, when he went into 
the house of God, to scourge out the enthusiasts, as he called 
them, from the sacred precincts.* 

The other Church had been gathered only about fifteen 
years, when the work began, and was supplied with a 
pastor, learned, mild, serious, and evidently disposed to be 
faithful, beyond the ordinary practice of his day, in the 
promotion of serious piety. A single note, inserted in the 
Church records, may serve to illustrate his spirit. After 
recording a vote of the Church, the design of which was to 
adopt measures for the advancement of their own piety and 
religious influence, he gives vent to his own feelings in the 
following devout ejaculation : " God grant success to us in 
this affair, and b)^ his holy spirit lift up a standard against 

* It seems proper, to observe here, that the Rev. Christopher Toppan, 
above referred to, was supposed to be laboring, at times, under a partial 
derangement of intellect. The peculiar turn, however, which his insanity 
seems to have taken, in the above instances, is significant of the state of 
the times, and of the difficulties under which those who afterwards separ- 
ated from his Church were compelled to labor. 



14 

vice and profaneness, and revive dying religion among us."* 
At what precise time the new impulse communicated 
itself to the people here, and by what means, I am not able 
to state confidently. Before the arrival, however, of the 
first itinerant preacher in this place, the records of the third 
Church, now the first in Newburyport, give evidence of an 
unusual interest in religious matters, in the admission to its 
communion in one year, of forty-four persons, a greater 
number, as the pastor himself then supposed, than was 
ever known to have been received in any Church in the 
province, in the same space of time.f 

In the autumn of the year seventeen hundred and forty, 
George Whitefield made his first vi&it to New England. He 
arrived in Boston on Thursday evening, September the 
eighteenth, at eight o'clock, and remained there, preaching 
in the various Churches, about ten days, when he set out 
on an excursion to the Eastward, He reached Newbury 
in the afternoon of September the thirtieth,! and preached 
once in the house of worship belonging to the third parish^ 

* The measnres above alluded to, were the annual appoiutment of seven 
brethren of the Church, to be "joined with the pastor and the honored 
justices belonging to it," to meet once a month and "consider what might 
be done for the good of the town in general, and the Churches in it," or, as 
the object is expressed in another place, " to consider what may be done to 
revive dying religion among us, suppress vice, and promote the peace and 
welfare of the Church." At the same meeting, the Church voted to meet 
once a quarter "and renew their covenant with God and one another." 

t This is stated on the authority of Mr. Lowell, himself, in a letter to the 
aggrieved, now on file in the State House. But the Church records show 
that, during the year immediately succeeding the great earthquake in 
1727, which excited so much terror every where in this region., one hun- 
dred and forty-one persons were admitted to the same Church. 

t Coffin states, in his history of Newbury, on the authority of Mr. 
Williams' historical sermon, that Whitefield first came to this town Sep- 
tember 10th. This is a mistake. He had not then reached Boston on 
his way from the South, 



15 

the Rev. Mr. Lowell's, then situated on what is now called 
Market Square. His own notice of the event is as follows: 
*' The Lord accompanied the word with power. The 
meeting-house was very large, many ministers were pres- 
t3nt, and the people were greatly affected. Blessed be God. 
His divine power attends us more and more." Whitefield 
proceeded on his journey as far as York, Maine ; and 
returning, preached at Newbury again, on Saturday, Octo- 
ber the fourth ; when a collection amounting to eight)' 
pounds and nine shillings, was taken up in behalf of the 
orphan house which he was then establishing in Georgia. 
In the course of the next winter, the hardly less famou 
Gilbert Tennent paid a visit to Newbury. On the seventi; 
of January, as appears from a note by Mr. Lowell in tht^ 
records of the third Church, he preached once in private, 
and on the next day once in public. A week later, 
namely, on the sixteenth of the same month, he was here 
again, and preached in public three times. 

During this period, and for a considerable space of time 
afterwards, Mr. Lowell appears to have been regarded as r. 
friend to the new movement. He made no opposition to 
it. He admitted freely to his pulpit, or allowed the people 
who desired it, to admit such itinerant and neighboring' 
ministers as were considered specially active in the promo- 
tion of it. He became more zealous than usual in his own 
pastoral duties, and for a time maintained two weekly 
lectures, in addition to his other exertions. The result was 
that, during the space of one year and six months from the 
preaching of Whitefield in this place, one hundred and 
forty-three persons were added to his Church, and of these, 
fifty-nine were admitted on one particular occasion, and 
twenty-seven on another, both within the space of one 
month. The Church under the care of Mr. Lowell became 
indeed the resort of some, from the other parish, who were 



16 

disaffected towards their own pastor, on account of his 
opposition to the work. 

Up to to this time, namely, the last of March, seventeen 
hundred forty-two, we find no evidence of a disposition 
among the friends of the revival to establish separate 
worship. But the causes of dissatisfaction were at work. 
During the course of the very next month, signs of misun- 
derstanding begin to appear, between them and the Rev. 
Mr. Lowell. The Messrs. Rogers, of Ipswich, were among 
its most ardent supporters, and being men of high standing 
in the ministry, had probably found a welcome reception 
here, as well as others of a similar stamp. Near the close 
of April, Mr. Buel,* a young preacher who had been 
laboring with much success at Northampton, under the 
eye and with the approbation of Jonathan Edwards, came 
to Ipswich, and, in company with Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, 
and his brother, Daniel Rogers, then a candidate for the 
ministry, visited Newbury. Mr. Lowell was absent, and 
some of his parishioners, desirous of hearing these gen- 
tlemen preach, took the responsibility of introducing 
them into the meeting-house for that purpose. Great 
excitement was produced by this act, and great oifence 

* Mr. Buel was a classmate of Rev. Samuel Hopkins, anfJ a graduate of 
Yale College at the commencement in the preceding September. As v>'as 
not uncommon at that day, he commenced preaching very soon after he 
left College, and in the latter part of the following winter was employed 
to preach at Northampton, in the absence of Rev. Jonathan Edwards. 
Edwards himself thus speaks of him in a letter to a clergyman in Boston ; 
" About the beginning of February, 1742, Mr. Buel came to this town. I 
was then absent from home, and continued so till about a fortnight after. 
Mr. Buel preached from day to day, almost every day, in the meeting- 
house. I had left him the free use of my pulpit, having heard of his 
designed visit before I left home. There were very extraordinary effects 
of Mr. Buel's labors," &c. Hopkins, who was then residing in the family 
of Edwards, speaks of him as "a zealous preacher of the Gospel, and the 
means of greatly reviving the people to zeal in religion." 



17 

taken, in which the pastor himself seems to have partici- 
pated. Shortly after, a communication was inserted in a 
Boston paper, representing the transaction in a very 
reproachful light ; as if Mr. Rogers and his Eissociates, had 
formed a party, and taken violent possession of the meet- 
ing-house, in the pastor's absence. This the friends of 
those gentlemen denied. The pastor, with his own 
signature, confirmed the statement. The result of the 
misunderstanding was, that the next day Mr. Rogers 
preached in the town-house, being now excluded, as it 
appears, from both the meeting-houses, and a numerous 
audience there attended on his preaching. 

What direct influence this event may have had on the 
succeeding movements does not now appear. One fact is 
evident, however ; that the pastor had, by this time, seen 
occasion to change his views of the propriety of the mea- 
sures in operation. He had complied with the wishes of 
those who were attached to them, till the matter seemed, 
in his judgment, to be going too far. Evening meetings, 
which he had before allowed, he now began to regard as 
of a dangerous tendency, and therefore stopped them. 
Itinerant preachers, he had permitted those of the people 
who desired to hear them, to introduce into his pulpit ; 
until, to use his own words, " it Avas plain that any itiner- 
ant, of whatever character for capacity and conduct, was 
preferred," then he excluded them. Meanwhile, the views 
of that portion of his people were not changed. Hence 
they became discontented. The transaction just related, 
it seems probable, was the means of bringing matters to a 
crisis. Shortly after, we find that measures were in 
operation for the erection of a new place of worship. The 
building stood upon the North-east side of High Street, 
between Federal and Lime, and was probably completed 
before the middle of February in the following winter. 
2* 



18 

Meanv^^hile, a young man from the neighboring parish of 
Byfield, Joseph Adams, a graduate of the same year at 
Harvard University, and a very recent convert, began to 
exhort and hold meetings in this vicinity. He was a man 
of great fervor and zeal, and having entered upon the work 
he had undertaken with all the earnestness of sincerity, 
and the freshness of youthful devotion, he charmed and 
melted by his preaching the hearts of multitudes, who 
regarded him, in the language of one of his adversari*eS; 
as "some great one, the mighty power of God." The 
imprudent zeal of the young preacher led him to commit 
some indiscretions. He fixed his eye upon the pastor of a 
neighboring Church, — a man whom he appears to have 
regarded as peculiarly deficient in ministerial qualifications^ 
— and with the view of dealing faithfully with his soul, 
addressed a letter to him, full of severe reproof, plainly 
intimating that he had never been converted, calling him 
"an opposer of this blessed reformation," and ending with 
the hope, that " God would either convert him or turn him 
out of the ministry," and the prayer, " O that God would 
bless this letter to your conviction." This letter, which 
appears to have been intended as a private one, the receiver 
immediately published, together with a long answer, in 
which the "arrogant young man" is chastised with no 
little severity. Notwithstanding this, however, the confi- 
dence of the friends of the young preacher appears to have 
remained unabated, and when the new meeting-house was 
completed, which was about the beginning of the year 
seventeen hundred and forty-three, Mr. Adams was em- 
ployed as the stated preacher. 

A large number from each of the two parishes now 
withdrew from their former places of worship, and attended 
on Mr. Adams' ministrations. He continued to officiate 
for this collection of "separatists," as they now began to 



19 . 

be called, with more or less constancy, more lluui two 
years, until a Church was formed, as we shall presently 
have occasion to notice.* 

It seems proper, that we should pause here, and inquire 
for what reasons the separation just referred to was made. 
Fortunately we have the parties' own statements, which 
will furnish the best exposition of their views. • 

The separatists from the first Church, of whom, there 
were, in the first instance, about thirty male members, 
complained of their pastor, the Rev. Christopher Toppan, 
that he had departed from the ancient faith in several 
important particulars, and especially, that he had strenu- 
ously opposed himself, to what they regarded as " the 
glorious work of God in convincing and converting great 
numbers in our land, of late, and especially among us," and 
had called it " all a delusion of Satan." 

The separatists from the third Church, thirty-eight male 
members with their families, expressly disavowed the design 
of fixing upon their pastor, the Rev. John Lowell, the 
charge " of false doctrine, or what is generally called an 
immoral life." They admit that his p'eacldng was not 
displeasing to them, " in a time of great deadness in reli- 
gion, a time when (as we think)" say they, "both the wise 
and foolish virgins were slumbering and sleeping." But 
since the great work of divine grace had commenced among 
them, many, especially of those who had shared in it, had 

*Mr. Adams was afterwards settled in Stratham, N. H., where he died 
at an advanced age, leaving behind him, as a friend informs me, the repu- 
tation of a " remarkably good man." The evidence thathe remained here 
as long as above stated, is to be found in a letter from Mr. Parsons, then 
at Lyme, addressed to Charles Pierce, Esq., and Dr. Sawyer. He says, in 
the postscript, " I hope you will treat dear Mr. Adams, your present 
preacher^ with respect and confidence. He is a man whom I love in the 
Lord, and I believe he has been very serviceable to the cause of Christ 
among you." This letter is dated April 18, 1745. 



20 

become dissatisfied. They complain that he had of late 
shown himself " cold and strange" towards the promoters 
of the late happy "reformation in the land," — "at this day 
as you are pleased to express it (to our sorrow) only of 
'temptation.' But we think, ill honor to the Holy Spirit, 
it deserves to be called a day of illumination as well as 
ten>ptation." Meanwhile, they complain, your own preach- 
ing was " not so suitable to our experience as we wished 
and longed for." His discourses seemed to them not 
sufficiently explicit and frequent, on the subject of man's 
native depravity, and mability," " the way of salvation by 
the merits of Christ," " the work of the Holy Spirit," and 
" the bringing the sinner off from his own righteousness, 
to rely entirely on Christ's righteousness." They wished 
the terrors of the law to be set forth in a more lively 
manner, and the sermons to be " pressed home and pun- 
gent," and the preacher himself to be "more zealous, 
constant, and fervent, in this weighty cause of gaining 
souls to the kingdom of God." They do not complain, 
indeed, that they have had nothing of this class of instruc- 
tions, but they think they have had far too little of it, 
"especially considering the present day." "And then," 
they continue, " when you were upon such subjects as 
fairly led you to speak close, and clear, and distinct, to our 
case, you seemed to us to glance over or but hint at them, 
in such generals, as did not reach our case." " And then 
the improvement, which we consider the life and soul of a 
sermon, seemed to us to go all over, without touching us." 
Could they have had such preaching, as in their view was 
essential to their spiritual welfare, in season and out of 
season, either by the pastor himself, or by his heartily 
admitting and forwarding the efforts of such other Orthodox 
ministers as would preach in that manner, accompanied by 
corresponding pastoral efforts on his part, they would never 



21 

have thought, they say, of separating from liim. The 
want of these, and the Hkc privileges, led them to \vit!i- 
draw. 

The irregularity of the proceedings of these '' aggrieved 
brethren," in Avithdrawing from public worship and ordi- 
nances in their own Churches, and establishing for 
themselves separate worship, without first obtaining a 
regular dismission, demands, in justice to them, an attentive 
and discriminating consideration. They had had, as they 
affirm, repeated conferences with their pastors on the sub- 
ject, until one of these •' declared he would talk no more 
with them," and the other, though often appraised of their 
desu'e to withdraw, and their wish for a Church meeting 
in the case, had sutliciently indicated his unwillingness to 
do anything to forward their wishes. Indeed the policy 
of the pastors, at that period, seems to have been, to call 
no Church meetings, and have no Church action on the 
subject of existing difficulties. One of them states explic- 
itly, that he should have called such a meeting, were it not 
that he "had abundant reason to fear, the heats and 
annimosities among us might prevent our acting, at the 
meeting of the Church, with wisdom and for tlie honor of 
Christ." Of course, the power of cahing Church meetings 
being then considered as lodged exclusively in the hands 
of the pastors, it was impossible for the aggrieved brethren, 
in existing circumstances, to obtain a regular hearing. 

As to building the meeting-house, and commencing 
public worship in it before asking a formal leave so to do ; 
which was sometimes alleged as an irregularity ; they 
supposed they had the best of precedents in their favor. 
The house in which Mr. Lowell officiated, had been built, 
it seems, without any such leave given by the first Church 
and parish, and the persons afterwards organized as the 
third Church, had not been dismissed for that purpose, 



until a considerable time after the house was built, and 
there was stated preaching in it. And yet no offence had 
been taken, — none regarded it as an irregularity. 

It is plain however, that the aggrieved earnestly desired, 
and were determined to secure, if possible, some distinct 
action of their own Churches on the case in hand. When 
they separated, it was evidently with the earnest hope, that, 
by a decisive stroke, the Churches would be brought to a 
direct and regular cognizance of their affairs. 

But the pastor of the third Church, though for the sake 
of peace, he would call no regular meeting, does not seem 
to have been unmindful of the exigencies of that trying 
crisis. On the first day of May, say the Church records, 
" after the administration of the Lord's supper, just before 
the blessing was pronounced, the pastor read to the Church 
what follows : " Brethren, you are all sensible of the great 
schism that has been made in this Church, and that a 
considerable number of persons, under the watch and care 
of this Church, have withdrawn from our communion in 
the word and ordinances, in breach of their solemn vows 
and covenant engagements ; and I think it my duty, as your 
pastor, to move to you that we keep a day of fasting and 
prayer upon this sad occasion, and seek God's special 
direction for the healing of our divisions." The day was 
agreed upon and observed accordingly. " The same day," 
records the pastor, somewhat mournfully, '* the separatists 
held a public assembly in Mr. John Brown's barn, in Mr. 
Toppan's parish, at which deacon Beck," one of his own 
deacons, "was present." 

The aggrieved brethren, now perceiving no probability 
that the Church intended to take any steps towards a 
regular hearing of their case, by calling them to an account 
for their withdrawing, began themselves to move, by a 
formal application, for a Church meeting. 



. 23 

On the thirty-first day of October, those belonging to 
the third Church addressed their pastor, in the following 
communication : " VYe, the subscribers, brethren of the 
third Church in Newbury, beg your compliance with this 
our desire in calling a Church meeting, that we might lay 
before them the reasons of our withdraw, and also our 
desire of a dismission from your particular Church, in 
order to be gathered into a Congregational Church agree- 
able to the word of God." This was signed by the names 
of thirty-two male members of the Church. The pastor 
replied, expressing his regret, that " in this day of tempta- 
tion," they had been so unmindful of their covenant vows 
as to have separated from the communion of the Church. 
He declines calling the Church meeting, until they are 
more explicit in stating their grievances ; for, says he, 
*' they may be such, for aught I know, as to contain some 
charges against me (though I fear none) or some other 
particular person," — in which event he would have them 
pursue private measures, — " or they may be such as I 
ought not, as pastor, to lead the Church to consider of." 

The aggrieved next addressed a communication to the 
pastor and Church jointly. It commences with the 
following frank and honorable confession : " We, the 
subscribers, having withdrawn from communion with this 
Church, are convinced, that in not laying before you the 
reasons of our withdrawing before we actually did with- 
draw, we have erred, we heartily acknowledge it, and ask 
your forgiveness therefor." They then proceed to state, 
generally, that they are not edified by the pastor's minis- 
trations, and again they earnestly desire to be dismissed, 
peaceably and amicably, to be formed into a Congregational 
Church. To prevent mistakes, about their views of reli- 
gious truth, they take care to add: " To your satisfaction, 
we think, we can heartily and unreservedly subscribe and 



24 

concur with the well known body of Divinity among yoii 
called the Assembly's Catechism." 

Instead of laying this communication before the Church, 
according to its obvious intent, the pastor proceeded to 
answer it. His reply is (in some parts of it) a little 
pungent. ''Whether my preaching," he says, "be as 
much for your soul's benefit and spiritual edification as 
that of others, and particularly Mr. Adams's, whom you 
generally hear, would be somewhat odd for me to deter- 
mine." He still hopes, however, that he can satisfy them, 
if they will give him a more full and explicit account of 
their grievances, intimates that the Church will not be 
willing to dismiss them, while they are not in charity with 
the pastor., and have not given him the reasons, and finally 
proposes to have another day of fasting and prayer in 
reference to the matter. 

The aggrieved brethren now took their turn to be severe, 
'' As to breach of vows," they say, "and all that respects 
that on our part, we think we have sufficiently acknowl- 
edged, and asked your forgiveness therefor." They retort 
the charge. The Church is bound, they say, to call 
offenders to an account. And if they were regarded as 
offenders, it was a breach of covenant vows to neglect to 
take cognizance of their case. They repeat their request 
for a Church meeting. They see no probability of remov- 
ing the ditficulties by private conference, for they have 
repeatedly waited upon the pastor, both as committees and 
as private persons, and without success. They complain, 
that they have been ill-treated in the matter. They think 
they shall not make many more attempts of a like nature, 
unless they have a better prospect of success. In this 
letter, the aggrieved set forth, in detail, the reasons of their 
dissatisfaction, and request particularly that the whole 
should be read to the Church. The pastor replied in a 



25 

long letter, going over the wliolc ground and intimating, 
that " the Church will not be likely to receive their acknowl- 
edgement, while they still refuse to hold communion with 
them."* 

At length, however, the Church met. The result was 
such as the pastor had anticipated. Having heard the 
request of aggrieved brethren, and their reasons, the Church 
voted, " 1st, That the separate brethren .did, by their with- 
draw, so long before they offered any reasons, give the 
Church just cause to be offended. 2d, That the Church 
had not received satisfaction." At an adjourned meeting 
it was farther voted, — " 1st, That the separating brethren 
had no right to vote in the case then pending. 2d, That 
the reasons given by the brethren withdrawn from com- 
munion, were not sufficient to justify their separation, or 
for this Church to grant them a dismission. 3d, That a 
Committee be appointed to prepare, in the name of the 
Church, an admonition to the brethren of the separation. 
4th, That if the separate brethren shall slight the admoni- 
tion, which shall be given them, to return to communion, 
this Church will, in due time, proceed to such further 
censure, as is directed in the Gospel." The votes were 

* The above intimation, unquestionably, contains the real reason why 
the truly manly and Christian confession of the aggrieved brethren was 
not received as an ample reparation of all past irregularities. The true 
head and front of their offending, was their determination not to return to 
the Church and parish. The acknowledgement was never made a matter 
of Church record. The legal disabilities under which that society after- 
wards suffered, requiring them to lay before the Legislature of the 
Commonwealth the original documents of their early transactions, was, 
in the providence of God, the only means of preserving it from oblivion. 
Many years afterwards, however, when the heat of party feeling had 
subsided, this very confession, retained in the memory only of certain of 
the members, was accepted by the Church as a sufficient ground on which 
to receive back into its fellowship one of those who had signed it, and was 
now disposed to return to his old relations. 



26 

passed by a very small majority, sixty-nine voting against 
sixty-five, the latter, however, inclnding the aggrieved 
themselves. This took place on the 14th of February, 
1744. Shortly afterwards, the Committee having prepared 
the admonition, the Church summoned the offending 
brethren to appear on a given Lord's day, at the close of 
divine service, to receive it. As might naturally have been 
expected from men who had conscientiously maintained 
separate worship more than two years, the accused were 
not found in attendance on the Lord's day, at the close 
of divine service in the third parish. And the Church 
not thinking it proper to proceed farther, at this time, left 
the whole matter, without any farther action, nearly two 
years. 

Meanwhile, the disaffected in the other parish had not 
remained idle. Having been repulsed in their attempts at 
private conference with the pastor, with the declaration, 
that he would talk no more with them, they proceeded, 
according to his suggestion, to prepare a written statement 
of their grievances, among which, besides the points already 
mentioned, is the neglect to call the complainants them- 
selves to an account for withdrawing from communion 
with the Church.* The letter, containing this statement, 
was read to the Church on the Lord's day, but no action 
was had on the subject. After waiting, between four 
or five weeks, the aggrieved addressed a second letter to 
the pastor, assuring him that the matters complained of 
were matters of great grief to themselves, and earnestly 

*This written statement being prepared, and not yet presented, a copy 
of it was demanded by the pastor, that he might lay the charges contained 
in it before the Superior Court, then about to hold its session at York 
Perhaps the intimation or threat here given, may serve to account, in part, 
for the backwardness sometimes manifested by the complainants to prepare 
written statements of their grievances. 



27 

entreating him seriously to consider them, and give tlie 
complainants reasonable satisfaction ; or otherwise to concur 
with them, in calling a council of the Churches, to hear 
their grievances, that so an end might be put to the unhappy 
controversy. This communication met the same fate with 
its predecessor. Again the aggrieved addressed the brethren 
of the Church, and entreated them to take the matter into 
serious consideration. The letter was read, as the others 
had been, on the Lord's day, together with the pastor's 
answer. But no vote was taken, no meeting for business 
appointed, and no copy of the answer sent to the aggrieved. 
Application for a copy of it was made, but the request was 
refused. The pastor also distinctly refused to call a 
meeting of the Church. Once more, an attempt was made 
to bring the brethren of the Church together, for a personal 
conference, but the attempt failed. 

The aggrieved now resorted to a Council. It was 
convened on the eighth day of November, seventeen hundred 
and forty-three. On the third day of its session, the pastor, 
with the advice of some of the principal members of the 
Church, addressed a letter to the moderator, in reply to a 
communication from him, assuring him that it had been, 
and still was his intention, as soon as it might conveniently 
be done, to call the Church together, if the aggrieved 
desired it ; and that if the matter could not otherwise be 
settled, he was ready, with the Church, to join with the 
aggrieved, in calling a Council, mutually chosen, to hear 
and advise upon their difficulties. Aware of the evils 
attending all exparte decisions in ecclesiastical matters, the 
Council advised the aggrieved to accept the overture of 
their pastor, and if after suitable efforts they were unable 
to obtain satisfaction, then to unite with him in calling a 
mutual Council. And thereupon the first Council dis- 
persed. 



28 

After waiting a few weeks, and perceiving no movement 
on the part of the pastor, the aggrieved again applied to 
him, requesting the fulfihnent of his promise. Then they 
learned, to their surprise, that, of the mutual Council which 
had been promised them, they themselves were to choose 
not a single member ; but the Church must choose the 
whole.* Not reckoning at a very high rate the niutuality 
of a Council so constituted, the brethren made several 
further attempts. The pastor, at one time, proposed to 
leave the whole matter to the Governor and Council. But 
this the brethren did not seem to think quite ecclesiastical. 
Again he offered to refer it to seven ministers. But this 
reference, they perhaps thought too exclusively clerical. 
Once more, he proposed a Council of Churches. But the 
pastor was to choose one third of the members, the Church 
one third, and the aggrieved the remainder. And as the 
majority of the Church was now well understood to be on 
the pastor's side, in the matter in controversy, the aggrieved 
regarded this plan likewise, as not likely to produce an 
impartial result. 

Wearied and disgusted to find themselves so repeatedly 
balked, they now resorted a second time to an exparte 
Council. But again, perceiving some ground of encour- 
agement to pursue further negociations, they sent to stay 
the Council from assembling until further notice should 
be given, (af) Failing in this, they once more sum- 

* As far as I am able to judge of the facts by a comparison of counter 
statements, I am led to conclude that the method proposed here was this : 
that the pastor and the aggrieved were to nominate, each one half of the 
Council, but the Church would then be free to accept or reject the nomi- 
nations. The objections to this method may be easily seen. The Church 
was understood to be a party with the pastor. If they were allowed 
to choose all the members of the Council, it would be an easy matter 
to exclude from it every one of those Churches and ministers, (for they 
were not numerous,) who were in full sympathy with the aggrieved in 
their views. 

t The letters refer to the Appendix. 



29 

moned the Council. It consisted of eight Churches, and 
was convened on the twenty-fourth of July, seventeen 
hundred and forty-four. The Church and pastor resolved 
not to acknowledge nor notice it. The complainants made 
their own representations. The Council obtained a copy 
of the pastor's answer to the complaints alleged, which has 
already been alluded to, and determined to give it all due 
consideration. In the result, the complaints were sus- 
tained, the pastor censured, and the complainants advised, 
in case all proper efforts to obtain satisfaction should fail, 
" then to seek more wholesome food for their souls, and 
put themselves under the care of a shepherd, in whom 
they could with more reason confide." 

The Church now proceeded, on their own part, to sum- 
mon a Council. Having selected the members, they 
proposed, with great appearance of fairness, that the 
aggrieved should select an equal number to be joined with 
them, and make it a mutual Council. But in this number 
none of those Churches which had been before invited, 
could be chosen. And as these were nearly all the Churches 
in the neighborhood, in whom the aggrieved had confi- 
dence, they very prudently declined the proposal. 

Another exparte investigation was of course the conse- 
quence, and the result, as might have been expected, was 
exactly the reverse of the other. 

One further hope now remained to the dissatisfied. The 
pastor being aged and infirm, measures were about to be 
taken for the settlement of another minister. But the 
candidate, whom the parish preferred, being no nearer to 
their own views, than his predecessor, they at length 
determined to avail themselves of the decision of their own 
Council, and formally withdraw from the Church. 

Accordingly, on the twentieth day of December, seven- 
teen hundred and and forty-five, about four weeks after the 
3* 



30 

ordination of the new pastor, they addressed a communi- 
cation to the Church, recapitulating past transactions, and 
concluding as follows : 

" Wherefore, Brethren, on these considerations, for the 
peace of our consciences, our spiritual edification, and the 
honor and interest of religion, as we think, we do now 
withdraw communion from you, and shall look upon 
ourselves as no longer subjected to your watch and 
discipline, but shall, agreeable to the advice given us, 
speedily as we may, seek us a pastor who is likely to feed 
us with knowledge and understanding, and in whom we 
can with more reason confide." 

" And now, brethren, that the God of all light and truth 
would lead both you and us into the knowledge of all 
truth, as it is in Jesus, is and shall be the desire and prayer 
of your Brethren," &c. Signed by twenty-three male 
members of the Church. 

I have been particular in detailing these transactions, 
because the separatists from both the two Churches have 
been charged with a disorderly separation. It will be seen, 
I think, from what has been presented, that whatever 
irregularity may have attended their earlier movements, 
sufficient evidence was presented, afterwards, of a disposition 
to atone for past errors, and obtain, if possible, a regular 
and orderly dismission. Those belonging to the first 
Church had the decision of a Council in their favor, — an 
exparte Council it is true, but one which was not resorted 
to, till repeated efforts for a mutual one had been made in 
vain. Those from the third Church, perceiving that they 
had acted hastily in the first instance, made a frank and 
cordial acknowledgement. And though their urgent 
requests to be dismissed peaceably, in order to be formed 
into a new Church, had been continually neglected, they 
still delayed taking the final step, in hopes that, what 



31 

they looked upon as their most sacred rights, would yet be 
conceded by their brethren. That there was, by this time 
at least, a serious, settled and conscientious dilierence of 
opinion between the two parties, demanding separate 
worship, few I think, at this day, would be disposed to 
question. What the dissatisfied brethren, in the first 
Church, called " the glorious work of God," the pastor of 
that Church felt compelled to denounce as "a delusion of 
Satan." What the brethren m the third Church thought a 
" day of illumination," their pastor assm'ed them he must still 
call "a day of temptation." In these circumstances, what 
was to be done ? Had there been a regular mode of relief 
open to them, all must admit that they ought to have 
pursued it. But the important doctrine of religious freedom 
was, at that time, but poorly understood by the Congrega- 
tional Churches in this region. 

The members thus withdrawn from the first Church, 
now considered themselves at liberty to form other ecclesi- 
astical connexions. Accordingly, on the third day of 
January, seventeen hundred and forty-six, nineteen of the 
twenty-three brethren who had signed the declaration of 
separation, were embodied into a Church, by affixing their 
names to the following mutual covenant : 

" We, the subscribers, who were members of the first 
Church in Newbury, and have thought it our duty to 
withdraw therefrom, do also look upon it as our duty to 
enter into a Church estate, especially as we apprehend this 
may be for the glory of God, and the interests of the 
Redeemer's kingdom, and our own mutual edification 
and comfort. We do, therefore, as we trust, in the fear pf 
God, mutually covenant and agree to walk together as a 
Church of Christ, according to the rules and order of the 
Gospel. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our 
hands this third day of January, Anno Domino, seventeen 
hundred and forty-six." 



32 

Such, my brethren, was the origin of this Church. 
Such the motives which led to its formation, and such the 
circumstances under which it was estabhshed. There had 
been, unquestionably, a glorious work of divine grace i^ 
the community. Along with it, there had been a large 
developement of the devices of Satan, — much disorder and 
enthusiasm, — much uncharitableness and wild fanaticism. 
But the chaff was now becoming separated from the wheat. 
The prevalence of sober and correct views, over false heat, 
was fast becoming apparent. The faults of the past had 
been acknowledged and renounced. Due efforts had been 
made to obtain an orderly release from former ecclesiastical 
relations. In the establishment of the new Church, the 
foundations were laid firm and deep in the essential prin- 
ciples of that faith and order which had been professed and 
practised by the earliest Churches of New England. 

Meanwhile, the providence and grace of God was raising 
up, and preparing for the work to be assigned him, a pastor 
eminently qualified for the exigencies of the times, and the 
wants of this particular people. 

The Rev. Jonathan Parsons was born in Springfield, 
Mass., Nov. 30, 1705. He was the child of Christian 
parents, and in his early years was carefully educated in 
the principles of faith and piety. 

He entered Yale College at the age of twenty, and was 
ordained over a Congregational Church in Lyme, Cc«.n., a 
little more than a year after he took his first degree. The 
first two years of his ministry he preached Arminian 
principles, and, as he afterwards had reason to fear, was a 
stjranger to regenerating grace. But it pleased God to carry 
him through a severe mental conflict, by which his religious 
views were greatly changed, and his heart, as he ever 
afterwards believed, created anew in Christ Jesus. 

Parsons was a minister at Lyme, during the whole of 



33 

that retaarkable period, already desisnated as tlie '' Great 
awakening." He was a close friend of Whitefield, and often 
entertained him at his house. Perhaps no man, if we 
except Whitefield, and Tennent, and Jonathan Edwards, 
was more completely identified with that wonderful move- 
ment, than he. 

He had suffered severe trials in consequence. Five or 
six influential members of his own Church, violently 
opposed his ministry. Efforts were made to malign his 
character, and the opposition at length rose to such a height 
that he thought it his duty to retire from the sacred office, 
among that people, and seek for himself another place of 
usefulness. 

It was just at this period, in the life of Parsons, that the 
new Church here was about to be organized. The advice 
of Whitefield turned the attention of the people towards 
him as a suitable person to become their pastor. Accord- 
ingly, a few days after they had embodied themelves 
into a Church, namely, on the seventh of January, seven- 
teen hundred and forty-six, they invited him to take the 
oversight of them. 

Vigorous efforts now began to be made to prevent the 
consummation of the contemplated connexion. The first 
Church passed a vote that it was disorderly to ofliciate as 
a minister on the Lord's day, to persons withdrawn from 
the neighboring Churches. (6) They also voted, in 
case he did not desist, they would send to Lyme and 
ascertain what misconduct he might be found to be charge- 
able with. A letter from one of his most violent opposers, 
in his former parish, was obtained and exhibited in various 
ways to his disadvantage. Even the mild and prudent 
Lowell went so far as to read, publicly from the pulpit, 
certain slanderous charges, which had chanced to come into 
his possession, with the express design of warning the 
people against him. 



34 

But the people were not so to be discouraged. They 
had listened to his defence and explanations. They had 
read the full and explicit recommendation given him by the 
Council which dismissed him from his former charge, (c) 
They believed him to be, as the event proved, eminently 
qualified for their peculiar exigencies. They therefore, 
still persisted in their deterniination to install him over 
them. 

Accordingly, on the nineteenth of March, the installation 
took place. There was no Council called, for it was 
thought best, by the most judicious friends of the new 
Church, that it should remain, for the present, entirely 
independent, [d) The people assembled in the house 
of worship, and the pastor elect preached to them from 
1 Peter 5:9. " Steadfast in the faith." After singing a 
hymn, he reminded the congregation of the efforts, which 
had been made, since his call to become their pastor, to 
traduce his ministerial character ; and having presented his 
testimonials for their consideration, proposed to them once 
more to decide whether it was still their wish that he 
should be their minister. The vote was taken by the clerk, 
and passed unanimously in the affirmative, (e) The 
pastor elect then said, " In the presence of God and these 
witnesses, I take this people to be my people," and the 
clerk replied, speaking in the name of the rest, " In the 
presence of God and these witnesses, we take this man to 
be our minister." 

Meanwhile, they had agreed upon a platform of Church 
government and discipline, and adopted a confession of 
faith. The form of government was, at first, one which 
might properly be called independant Presbyterian. The 
difficulties which they had encountered in obtaining a 
release from the old Church, had made them greatly averse 
to Congregationalism. Their original platform, however, 



55 

was not intended to be permanent, but only to be observed 
for the present, until they could see their way clear to form 
other relations. It maintained, distinctly, that the power of 
privilege resides in the brotherhood at large, but, as the 
scripture has not explicitly bound them as to the mode in 
which it should be exercised, they are at liberty to do it 
through a representd;tive body if they see fit. Such a body, 
therefore, it required the Ciiurch annually to appoint ; and 
with them all the power of discipline was to be lodged, 
with this provision, that if the elders so appointed should 
be unable to reclaim an offender, they should at last bring 
the case before the brotherhood at large, to advise what 
should be done further in the case. 

On the seventh of April following, the organization of 
the Church was completed by the choice of six ruling 
elders, and shortly after, negociations were commenced 
which at length resulted in a connexion with the presbytery 
of Boston, — (/) the Church reserving one feature of 
her original constitution only, viz : the right to choose her 
elders annually, — aright which she has steadily maintained, 
through all changes, to the present day. 

The Church had now become, in the full sense of the 
word, a Presbyterian Church. The motives which led to 
this were partly an aversion to the old system, for the 
reason just mentioned, and partly a necessity which was* 
laid upon them to become another denomination, in order 
to escape the absolute oppression of the Congregational 
discipline, as then conducted. Strange as it may seem to 
some, who are in the habit of regarding Presbyterianism as 
too rigid, and unfriendly to popular rights, it was expressly 
for the purpose of avoiding undue rigidity, and in defence 
of popular rights, that the founders of this Church adopted 
tha,t form of government. 

The only exclusive principle, which this Church set up. 



36 

was that which respected Christian character and soundness 
in the faith. They often protested, that by becoming 
Presbyterians they had no intention to withdraw from 
free intercourse with their Congregational brethren. All 
Churches who adhered to the principles set forth in the 
Assembly's catechism, they stood ready at all times to 
welcome as brethren, (g) 

The Church being thus organized and established, and 
provided with an able pastor, the brethren in the third 
Church, who were in sympathy with them, sought once 
more for a dismission, in order to join them. This 
request was decisively denied, and the Church voted that 
they could not acknowledge the new Church as a regular 
Church of Christ. 

The dissatisfied brethren now determined to retire 
without a dismission ; and, after long deliberation, and 
having taken the advice of such ministers as they thought 
worthy of confidence, the new Church voted to receive 
them, (/i) Thus the scattered bands were at length 
united into one flock, and beneath the shelter of the 
sanctuary which then our hands had erected, they sat 
down together under the watch of the same spiritual 
shepherd. (?) 

But the trials of this Church and congregation were but 
< just begun. Along struggle ensued to obtain exemption 
from the exactions of the Congregational system, then by 
law established. Application was made to the Legislature 
to be released from taxation in the regular parishes. The 
parishes remonstrated, and the petition was denied. Again 
and again, was the subject brought before the General Court. 
Governor Shirley, in one instance, recommended the case 
to its special attention. But their neighbors insisted that 
they were a misguided band who ought not to be encour- 
aged. They reminded the Legislature that they had 



37 

always been frowned upon by their predecessors in office, 
and that since being so treated, " they had songht shelter 
and relief under the Presbyterian form, but all in vain." 
They more than intimated the confident expectation, that 
they always would continue to be frowned upon. And so 
the case proved during many years. When the members 
of this congregation pleaded conscience against the exac- 
tions which were made upon them, they were told that 
what they called conscience, was but avarice. When they 
complained, that the burden was beyond their ability, they 
were taunted with the fact that they had assumed a 
voluntary burden, in the establishment of their own separate 
worship. When, in reliance on what seemed to them 
common justice, some of them refused to pay what was 
exacted, the officers of the law seized upon their persons 
and thrust them into prison. Repeated cases of this nature 
are to be found recorded in the private journal of the first 
pastor, in which, in the face of many indignities, he felt 
himself called upon to visit the prison to console his 
suffering brethren. The argument for these coersive mea- 
sures was this, " the parish property is pledged for the support 
of the parish minister. The English dissenters are obliged 
to pay for the support of the established Church, and why 
should you be exempted?" True the law had already 
exempted Churchmen, Anabaptists, and Quakers. But the 
like privileges the poor Presbyterian must not look for. 
And why, forsooth ? Because he ought not to he a Presby- 
terian. He should have never separated from the old 
Congregational parish. Strange as it may seem to us, with 
our present views of religious liberty, the third parish in 
Newbury earnestly remonstrated to the General Court, 
against granting the prayer of the petitioners, on the 
ground of the evil consequences likely to ensue "from the 
precedent of giving parish privileges to all the various sects 
in this province." 4 



The oppression was so severely felt by this society, that 
they had taken the preliminary steps, at one time, to have 
their case particularly brought before the King in Council. 
They went so far as to obtain a written opinion of the 
Attorney General in England, respecting the best mode of 
procedure, and only desisted from their purpose because 
some judicious friends abroad thought such a representation 
as they would be obliged to make, might endanger the 
charter of the colony, and prove injurious to the interests 
of the English dissenters. About this time, however, some 
partial relief, but very inadequate, was granted them by the 
provincial Legislature.* It was not till many years after 
this, that an application from the town of Newburyport 
procured for all denominations here, the right to conduct 
their own ecclesiastical affairs in their own way. 

Ample evidence exists that the members of this society, 
with their pastor, were, for many years, subjected among 
their neighbors, to many indignities. The strong feeling, 
with which Parsons mentions, in his diary, that the town 
clerk, though not a member of his society, treated him 
kindly when he called upon him, shows how little he was 
in the habit of expecting, in the way of respect and 
friendship. The low and vulgar, in some instances, 
reviled him, and pelted him with stones in the street. 

The subsequent history of this Church and society I 
must pass over in the most cursory manner, for want of 
time. During the ministry of Mr. Parsons, a period of 
about thirty years, the Church and society flourished 
and increased greatly. It enjoyed several very cheering 

* A comparison of dates shows that the partial relief above referred to, 
must have been wrung from the Legislature, under the fear that the case 
would otherwise be carried over to the government of the parent country. 
As it was, the relief was so stinted, and encumbered with so many condi- 
tions, that it proved rather the occasion of new lawsuits, than any very 
substantial benefit. 



39 

revivals of religion, during which many converts were 
added to the number of the professed followers of Christ. 
It was at one of these seasons, in the year 1756, that, the 
congregation having become too large for the place of 
meeting, the house where we now assemble was erected. 
(j) It was then supposed to be one of the largest in the 
country, yet so great was the increase of numbers that, 
about eleven years later, a plan was formed for erecting 
another house of worship, dividing the congregation into 
two parts, and inviting the Rev. James Sproat, afterwards 
of Philadelphia, to minister in one of them as colleague 
pastor with the Rev. Mr. Parsons. This plan, hoAvever, 
seems not to have been prosecuted, (k) 

The communion seasons, during this period, were pecu- 
liarly animating and delightful. Parsofis compares one of 
them to a similar season which he had enjoyed in Lyme, 
during his ministry there, and which, in his description of 
the work of grace given in the Christian history, he had 
called his Pentecost. He thought this even more delightful, 
in some respects, than that remarkable occasion. After the 
Church joined the Presbytery, the practice of the Scotch 
Churches was adopted, namely, that of having public 
religious exercises both the day before and the day succeed- 
ing the administration of the Lord's supper, — a practice 
which continued in the Church many years. So interest- 
ing were these seasons, that I have heard the aged people 
among us often say, that crowds flocked from the whole 
surrounding region to share in the pleasure and benefit of 
the exercises. 

Mr. Parsons was a man eminently adapted to be at the 
head of such a people. A fervid revivalist of high repute, 
he was, of course, all they desired on that head. Experi- 
enced in the dangers which attend all religious excitements, 
he was prepared to furnish the most happy safe-guards. 



40 

Having once imbibed and preached the looser form of 
doctrine, then becoming prevalent in many of the Churches, 
he knew how to discriminate between truth and error, and 
raise the warning voice against the first beginnings of 
defection. The people, with some few exceptions, were, 
at that time, exceedingly ill-informed in respect to the 
Gospel system of religious truth, and Parsons' logical 
training and thorough scholarship, were eminently adapted 
to their instruction and establishment in the faith. It was 
a happy thing for this Church and society that it enjoyed, 
during so large a portion of its early trials and hazards, the 
services of such a man as Jonathan Parsons, (l) 

During the ministry of Mr. Parsons, this Church and soci- 
ety enjoyed, in repeated instances, the services of the elo- 
quent and devoted Whitefield, by whose counsels their early 
movements were in part directed, and were at length, in 
the providence of God, indulged the mournful privilege of 
laying his remains to rest beneath their own sanctusiry, 
where they now slumber, awaiting the final resurrectimi, 
beside his, in whose hospitable dwelling, he so often, during 
his life-time, found a home. 

The next minister was the Rev. John Murray. He was 
a native of Ireland, and received his education in the 
university of Edinburgh. When he came to this country, 
he was hardly twenty-one years of age, and shortly after 
was settled as a minister in the second Presbyterian 
Church in Philadelphia. But he had been guilty of a very 
serious misdemeanor in respect to the signatures to his 
credentials, which having at length come to light, was 
the cause of his removal from that city. He was next 
settled in Boothbay, where a presbytery, was formed, 
called " the presbytery of the eastward," of which he 
became the most prominent member, (m) Mr. Par- 
sons had known something of Mr. Murray from his first 



41 

arrival, and when the unfavorable reports came to be 
circulated, he took special pains to inquire into their 
foundation. The result was a decided conviction, that the 
faults committed, taken in connexion with his own humble 
acknowledgment, were not such as justly to debar him 
from Christian charity, or to disqualify him for the exercise 
of the ministry. The presbytery of Boston, however, 
refused fellowship with Mr. Murray, and it was partly on 
this account, that this Church, with their pastor, withdrew 
from that presbytery, and became connected with the 
presbytery of the eastward. 

Mr. Murray was a remarkable preacher. No man drew 
such crowds to hear him, or held them in a listening 
attitude so long. He was active in the promotion of 
religion out of the bounds of his own parish. Many 
ministers were educated by the aid which they received 
from a society of which he was the chief supporter and 
guiding spirit. Many Churches, especially in the state of 
Maine, owed their origin to his influence and exertions. 
He had his faults, unquestionably, which marred his 
usefulness ; and the censure under which he remained, in 
the eyes of many, deprived the Church and society of that 
free intercourse which they might otherwise have enjoyed 
with some of the neighboring Churches ; but his ministry 
seems to have proved, on the whole, a great blessing, both 
in the conversion of sinners, and the edification of the 
Church of Christ. 

Mr. Murray was first invited to become colleague pastor 
with Mr. Parsons, several years before his decease ; but 
declined the application, among other reasons, on account 
of the cloud under which his reputation was suffering. 
After the death of Mr. Parsons the application was renewed, 
but, for various reasons, he still persisted in his refusal. It 
was not till after long waiting and many discouragements, 
4* 



42 

that he was obtained to be the minister of this people. 
He was settled here, without any formal installation, on 
the strength of a vote of presbytery to that effect, June 
fourth, 1781, about five years after the death of Mr. Par- 
sons ; and continued in office, till his own decease, March 
13, 1793, a period of about twelve years. 

The third pastor was the Rev. Daniel Dana. Previous 
to his settlement, however, two successive divisions had 
fallen off from the Church and society. 

During the latter days of Mr. Murray, a young mission- 
ary from Nova Scotia came to Newburyport, at the 
invitation of the pastor of the Church, to assist him in the 
administration of the Lord's supper. His talents were 
peculiar and striking. A large portion of the Congregation 
were delighted with him ; and as Mr. Murray was now 
aged and infirm, desired to retain him as their minister. 
The majority, however, thought otherwise. The result 
was that the adherents of the young candidate withdrew, 
to attend upon his ministrations. After the death of Mr. 
Murray, they formally renounced the government pf this 
Church, and, having erected a new house of worship, and 
having embodied themselves into an independent Church, 
took the Rev. Charles W. Milton to be their minister. 
The result was the establishment of a new religious society, 
which soon became one of the largest in the town, and 
which, whatever irregularity may have attended its origin, 
has won for itself an honorable place among the Churches 
of the Lord Jesus. 

The second separation took place in connexion with the 
settlement of Mr. Dana. A portion of the Church and 
society, dissatisfied with the candidate who had been 
chosen, withdrew and formed the second Presbyterian 
Church in this town, and settled over them the Rev. John 
Boddily. Here, however, as in the former case, division 



43 

proved to be but reduplication. The new Church having 
settled down upon the principles of the saine faith and 
order with ourselves, took the earliest opportunity, after a 
course of years, to secure for itself the services of the very 
same man, whom, in the first instance, it had rejected ; 
and for many years it has held sweet intercourse, in holy 
things, both with the parent Church, and with its elder 
sister. We rejoice to welcome here, to-day, our brethren 
of both these societies, and to greet them as the descend- 
ants of the same sires, whose worth we have assembled to 
celebrate. 

Mr. Dana was ordained November 19, 1794, and contin- 
ued in the ministry in this Church, till he was called to 
take the Presidency of Dartmouth College, in the autumn 
of the year 1820. Few pastors have enjoyed, so univer- 
sally, the warmest affection of their people, as Dr. 
Dana, during his ministry in this Church. The parting 
scene was truly affecting. They yielded him up only at 
the call of duty, and wept as children, when a venerated 
and beloved parent is taken from their head, (n) It 
was during the ministry of Dr. Dana, in the year 1802, 
that the Church, by a formal vote, adopted the constitution 
of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in 
the United States, reserving only its established practice of 
electing its elders annually. 

Several other important changes were effected, likewise, 
during this ministry. The old practice of giving out the 
hymn, line by line, from the deacon's seat, was relinquished, 
for the more decent method of reading it connectedly, from 
the pulpit. The Church, also, laid aside the custom of a 
protracted series of services in connection with the admin- 
istration of the Lord's supper, maintaining only a prepara- 
tory lecture on some week day, and a meeting for prayer 
on Saturday evening, before the communion. During this 



44 

ministry, the Church and society came into freer fellowship 
with the neighboring Churches, than had been enjoyed 
previously ; the reasons of withholding such fellowship 
having now ceased to exist on both sides. ^ (o) In the 
year 1811, the first chapel, for the accommodation of the 
Church and society in their less public religious exercises, 
was erected. 

Dr. Dana's immediate successor was the Rev. Samuel 
Porter Williams. He was born in Weathersfield, Conn., 
February 22, 1779, entered Yale College in 1792, at the 
age of thirteen years, and was graduated in 1796. For a 
time he was engaged in mercantile employments, but, 
having at length given his heart to religion, he became a 
communicant, in March, 1803, and proceeded to prepare 
himself for the gospel ministry ; first under the direction of 
Dr. Dwight, at New Haven, and then under that of Dr. 
Howard, of Springfield. He was first settled in Mansfield , 
Connecticut, where he remained several years. Two 
years, he labored, with much success, at Northampton." 
He was installed as pastor of this Church and society Feb- 
ruary 8, 1821, and died in the same oflice, Dec. 23, 1836. 

Mr. Williams was a man of great energy, decision, and 
independence. What he thought, he said, and as his people 
always knew, it was said kindly, though it sometimes cut 
deep, they received it without taking offence. His preach- 
ing was eloquent, sometimes ornate, but instructive and 
adapted to impress the conscience and the heart. Some 
complained of his style as too involved and obscure ; but he 
engaged the attention, awakened thought and enquiry, and 
was successful, it is believed, in turning many to righteous- 
ness. During the ministry of Mr. Williams, some ancient 
practices of the Church, good in their day, perhaps, but 
now grown obsolete, and to which some were disposed to 
adliere with almost superstitious veneration, were aban- 



45 

doned. Among these, may be mentioned the practice of 
reading before the congregation a written acconnt of the 
religious experience of candidates for admission to the 
Church. 

The last public effort of Mr. Williams was on Thanks- 
giving day, less than one month before his decease. His 
pallid countenance, and scarce supported form, gave a 
powerful effect to his performance, as he announced his 
text from Isaiah 38 : 18, 19, 20. " The grave cannot 
praise thee ; Death cannot celebrate thee," &c., and 
proceeded to discourse to his people on " the value of life." 
"He seemed," says the editor of his discourses, "like one 
lifting up his head from the grave, to tell his people what 
it is that makes life precious in the estimation of a dying 
Christian." 

Mr, Williams was succeeded in the sacred office by the 
Rev. John Proudfit, ordained October 4, 1827, and dis- 
missed, on account of impaired health, February, 1833, — 
an accomplished scholar, a devout Christian, and a suc- 
cessful minister of the Gospel. The present incumbent 
was ordained September 16, 1835. 

During the ministry of Dr. Proudfit, in the year 1829, 
the house of worship was repaired and ^ altered, and a 
cenotaph erected in the eastern corner to the memory of 
Whitefield, by Hon. William Bartlett, then a member of 
this congregation. In the year 1831, this society, in 
common with others in this town, enjoyed a remarkable 
revival of religion. During most of that period the pastor 
was absent on a tour in Europe, and the pulpit was 
supplied chiefly by Rev. Joseph Abbot, now of Beverly, 
and Rev. Dr. Cheever, now of New York. 

In the summer of 1843, the old chapel, having become 
decayed, a new and commodious one was erected in the 
rear of the Church and connected with it. 



46 

The cooperation between the Church and society has 
always been, it is believed, harmonious and pleasant. 
Seldom have serious difficulties occurred to disturb the 
general peace among the members of either. The regular 
ministrations of a settled pastor have been enjoyed, with 
but short intervals from the beginning. No minister has 
been dismissed from his office on account of dissension 
among the people, or a dissatisfaction with ,him or his 
labors. A good degree of spiritual prosperity has been 
enjoyed, (p) From its commencement to the present day, 
the Church has discovered a commendable interest, in all 
departments of Christian benevolence. From the earliest 
date at which its records were regularly kept, an annual 
collection was, for many years, taken up for the benefit of 
the poor among its own people, and a quarterly collection 
for general purposes of charity. In the year 1760, 340 
pounds, 4 shillings and 3 pence, was collected " for the 
distressed people of Boston, who have suffered," say the 
records, "by the late fire there." Similar collections were 
from time to time afforded to ^ meet other similar wants. 
To a society' for promoting the the education of young 
men for the Gospel ministry, this congregation contributed 
liberally, as early as the year 1783. It was also active, at 
that early day, in maintaining missionaries in the destitute 
portions of our country, and particularly in that portion of 
the State which was then the District of Maine. Since 
the organization of the present system of benevolent 
associations, it has been a steady contributor to all the 
more prominent among them, furnishing annually an 
aggregate little short of the salary of its own pastor. It is 
believed few Churches and congregations, — especially if we 
consider the heavy burdens which the people were com- 
pelled to bear, for many years after their organization, in 
contributing to the support of two ministers, — their own 



47 

and that of the old parish, — have discovered, throughout 
their whole history, a more ready and diflusive liberality. 

The Church still retains her early form of government 
and discipline. Amidst all the changes which have taken 
place around her, she has continued to be, and still is, a 
Presbyterian Church, the only one in the State, as I sup- 
pose, now connected with any presbytery. Twice at least, 
she has been solicited to adopt the forms of the surrounding 
Churches, — once by the Rev. Dr. Dana,* who, at the time 
of his settlement, had a preference for the Congregational 
form, and once by some of her own members. But in 
both instances she decided to remain, as her founders 
established her, Presbyterian. This Church has been 
connected, from time to time, with several presbyteries, 
and was, for many years previous to the great schism in 
the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States, a constituent part of that body. Since that 
period, the presbytery of Newburyport, not being disposed 
to decide between the two bodies claiming the name and 
rights of that assembly, has remained separate. 

This Church still maintains her original confession of 
faith. The Assembly's Catechism was at the beginning, 
ever has been, and still is, " for substance of doctrine," the 
exposition of her views of religious truth. Her six pastors 
have been men of various temperaments, and educated 
under a great variety of circumstances, but it is believed if 
they could all be gathered at this moment, they would see 
no occasion to disagree materially upon the points of 
doctrine, in which they have instructed their flock. Could 
the faithful dead, who have been its members, be assembled 

* It is due to Dr. Dana to observe here, that whatever may have been 
the predilections of his youth, he has since, though by no means rigorous 
in respect to forms of government, evinced a strong and constant attach- 
ment to the presbyterian constitution and discipline. 



48 

now, the fathers among them would unquestionably find 
us changed in many important particulars ; in some respects, 
I trust, they would acknowledge that we have changed for 
the better ; but I trust they would not find us to have 
departed, in any material points, from an adherence to those 
precious truths, for the sake of which they consented to 
all their sacrifices. They would acknowledge and feel, 
that, so far as we are what we profess to be, we and they 
have " one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and 
father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us 
all." 

The history of this Church seems to impose upon us 
some peculiar obligations. 

1. First it teaches us to be valiant for the truth, and to 
guard, with jealous watchfulness, the faith once delivered 
to the saints. The period, in which this Church was 
formed, was not the only period in which the purity and 
soundness of Christian doctrine has been endangered. 
There are perils encompassing the Church, at the present 
day, of which the fathers dreamed not. The enemies are 
more, and stronger, and more various and subtil, than at 
almost any period known to us since the Saviour's advent. 
At such a period, it becomes us to study carefully the 
principles and the foundations of our faith, — that we may 
hold fast to the sacred truths which our fathers cherished, 
not with a blind attachment, but with an intelligent and 
reasonable conviction. Beware, my brethren, of that 
looseness of thought and opinion, which regards all sorts of 
notions on religious subjects as equally good and equally 
SEife to the soul. It is not so. Truth is one and invariable. 
Truth alone is able to make the heart of man wise unto 
salvation. Yet I would not have you fall into bigotry, in 
your attachment to, and defence of the truth. Between 
bigotry and an intelligent and conscientious adherence to 



49 

the true faith, tliere is the widest possible distinction. 
Contend earnestly for the faith, but do not quarrel about it. 
Keep ever an open hand, in fellowship with all those who 
hold the fundamental principles of the Gospel, however 
they may diifer from you in less important particulars. 
And even towards those who seem to have departed from 
the right standard in essential matters, maintain ever that 
kindness, courtesy and friendly fairness, which will con- 
vince them that your firmness is not obstinacy, nor your 
opposition bitterness. 

2. In the second place the history of this Church teaches 
us to striv^e earnestly for the promotion of living piety. 
It is not a round of decent formalities, it is not regular 
attendance on the outward means of grace, it is not exter- 
nal blamelessness of life, that constitutes true religion. The 
heart must be right with God. The interior fountain of 
moral feeling and action must be sanctified. The spirit of 
man must hold constant communion with the Divine Spirit. 
Our conversation must be in heaven, while we sojourn 
beloAv, and our whole character wear the ornaments of 
heaven. A dead orthodoxy is hardly less to be deplored 
than the worst heresy. Religious truth has but a precari- 
ous hold upon us, when the intellect alone receives and 
embraces it. Unless we receive the truth in the love of it, 
it will be of no benefit to us. Let us strive then, both to 
feel and act, and to make others feel and act in accordance 
with the doctrines which we maintain. And praying 
earnestly for the influences of the Divine Spirit, without 
which no human efforts can avail anything, let us strive to 
convince the world of sin, lead the wandering soul back to 
the Saviour of sinners, and make the Church what its divine 
founder intended it should be, a living exemplification of 
the truth as it is in Jesus, a living epistle of recommenda- 
tion to it, known and read of all men. O ! if this Church 
5 



BO 

should ever sink down in a lifeless form, without the power 
of Godliness, methinks the ashes of the dead beneath and 
around us, would cry shame on us, from their tombs, for 
our wicked apostacy. Was it for this that they endured 
reproach, and trial, and suffering ? That their posterity 
might forget the very thing which was most dear to them ? 
No, my brethren, as you honor the fathers, live the reh- 
gion you profess. Their contest was for a living piety. 
3. The history of this Church teaches us to value and 
promote genuine revivals of religion, I know well that 
there is an element of imperfection, — a manifest token of 
inadequacy implied in that very word revival of religion. 
Some have been accustomed to regard the subject of reli- 
gious influence too much in the light of a series of revivals. 
Hence they pray for revivals, they strive for the promotion 
of revivals, and they forget to pray and strive for that 
constant, steady and enduring power of Godliness, which 
shall be as the shining light that shineth more and more 
unto the perfect day. Bnt the imperfection and sinfulness 
of man, under the best circumstances hitherto, teaches us 
that there ivill be seasons of the decline of piety. In such 
seasons a revival is the object to be aimed at. Had it not 
been for those special efl^usions of the divine spirit, where, 
in all human probability, would the Churches of our coun- 
try be at the present time ? Dead, thrice dead and plucked 
up by the roots ! In a revival of religion, there will always 
be discovered much imperfection, which would not be 
exhibited, under a constant prevalence of the life of Godli- 
ness. The dead man, beginning to recover his lost vitality, 
may be expected to discover traces of painful agony, hardly 
less than distort the features of the dying. But what then ? 
Should we prefer, therefore, that the placid calmness of 
death should never be disturbed ? So, in the case before 
us. The attendant evils are real evils, and should be 



51 

checked, and watched against, and prayed against, but after 
all, what is the chaff to the wheat ? 

4, The liistory of our Chin-ch teaches us to be active and 
energetic, and self-sacrificing, and, at the same time, to 
beware of false zeal, and disorderly practices in the promo- 
tion of the ftiith which we love. The former was, under 
God, th-e cause of the success of its founders ; the latter 
was their grand hindrance, and the source of their greatest 
discouragements. An apostle bids us watch and be sober, — 
watch ; never sutler ourselves to fall asleep at our post, — 
be sober ; avoid all false heat and unbecoming transports. 
They that sleep, he says, sleep in the night, and they that 
be drunken are drunken in the night, but let us who are of 
the day be sober. Were we always sober, in times of 
peculiar religious interest, we should not be exposed, as we 
now too often are, to the sudden decay and desertion of the 
sacred influence. 

We -have received this Church and society, my brethren 
and friends, as a precious legacy from your worthy ances- 
tors. Their sacrifices demand of us that we preserve, 
improve and transmit it. Our posterity too, have a claim 
upon us ; for the rich estate was meant for them no less than 
for us. God grant that we may not prove ourselves 
unmindful of our trust. 

5. Again, the history of this Church teaches you, (I 
almost dread to say it, when I consider the imperfection of 
my own services, but I must not refrain,) the history of 
this Church teaches you, never to be satisfied with an 
unfaithful ministry. Be candid, always, towards those who 
have the watch over you, in their difficult work, knowing 
that the best of them, no less than yourselves, are compassed 
with infirmities. But, O, let not even friendship, and 
human sympathy, make you shrink from withdrawing your 
support and confidence from such as do not preach Christ 



52 

Jesus, and him crucified, with zeal and fervor, and labor 
in season and out of season to win souls to Christ. 

In closing this discourse I feel that I am sealing up, for 
the final account, one century of this Church's history. 
Another century will roll by, and who will celebrate its 
close ? We shall, none of us, be here. Where, O where ! 
will our immortal souls then be ? Our children, too, will 
have passed off from the stage of life. But will the 
Church live? It Avill, if we are faithful as our fathers 
were. Other voices will be heard in its songs, and 
speak the message of the Most High from the sacred pulpit. 
Other hands will break the bread of life. But if the 
Church still lives ; if, having prepared our own souls, by 
divine grace, and those of our immediate descendants, for 
the Church on high, and done our duty faithfully, we and 
they shall have been gathered into rest ; with what joy 
shall we look down from the heavenly mansions, as the 
sainted dead now, we trust, look down upon us, and see 
our children's children, here preparing, through the grace 
of God, to join the same general assembly and Church of 
the first born. Amen ! 



APPENBIX. 



(1) The anniversary was observed on the day mentioned in the title 
page. This was selected with reference to convenience. Tlie weather 
was exceedingly stormy, yet a numerous audience were in attendance. 
The introductory devotional exercises in the morning, were conducted by 
Rev. William A. Stearns, of Cambridgeport, a brother of the pastor. 
After the sermon, the following Hymn was sung, composed for the occa- 
sion by Hon. George Lunt, a member of the society : 

Thy temple stands, oh God of grace, 
Above our thought, beneath our tread, 

Its ample floor, unmeasured space. 

Its arch with worlds unnumbered spread. 

Yet though not all creation's bound 
' Thy power contains, thy glory tells, 

Within thy earthly courts are found , 

The places where thy spirit dwells. 

Thus on our sires, an honored race, 
\ Thy dews descended like the rain, 

' ' W^hile here they met to seek thy face, 

J Nor sent a prayer to Heaven in vain. 

'■ ■ Beneath these walls how oft they heard, 

^ From fervent heart and burning tongue, 

t Thy sacred truth, thy holy word, 

( Sustain the old and cheer the young ! 

( This earthly temple of thy praise, 
f How glorious and how dear its name ! 

[ Thy blessing crowned its ancient days, 
I Thy promised blessing stands the same. 

Built on that Rock in Zion laid, 

May here thy Church forever rise, 
Thy truth its deep foundation made, 

Its hope eternal in the skies. 

5* 



54 

No gorgeous rites, nor sh/ines of gold, 

Within these sacred precincts be ; 
But grant the fervent faith of old 

To bind us closer, Lord, to thee ! 

May here while ages roll away. 

Our children's children all appear, 
Here love to learn and praise and pray, 

And find their God, their Savior here ! 

The services of the afternoon were commenced by reading a letter to 
the Church from one of their former pastors, Rev. Dr. Proudfit, of New 
Brunswick, N. J. Then a portion of the preamble to the original Consti- 
tution of the Church, setting forth the views of the founders, was read. 
After a prayer for a divine blessing upon the solemn transaction, the 
Church rose and publicly renewed their covenant with God and one an- 
other, in the words originally adopted by their fathers, and to which the 
names of all the successive members have been signed. Prayer was then of- 
fered by the Rev. JoHX March, of Belleville, Newbury, formerly a member 
of the Church. After this the sacrament of the Lord's supper was adminis- 
tered by Rev. Jonathan Greenleaf, of Brooklyn, N. Y., a descendant 
both of the first pastor, and also of one of the first members, and Rev. 
Daniel Dana, D. D., who had been its pastor during twenty-six years. 
Appropriate hymns were sung in the intervals of the other parts of the 
service. 

The exercises were solemn and impressive, and the Church, we trust, 
will be found to have received from them new strength to enter upon the 
unknown events of another century. 

(a) The encouragement referred to was a new proposal to refer the 
whole matter to a mutual Council, first made on the part of the aggrieved, 
and accepted by the pastor ; then made in a somewhat modified form, by the 
pastor; and, as the aggrieved allege, accepted by them. The Committee 
of the Church, in their statement, to the Council subsequently called, 
represented the aggrieved as having refused this offer. The aggrieved, 
on the other hand, denied the representation, and declared that they 
offered in form the following written declaration : " June 6, 1744. In 
answer to a proposal made us by our Reverend pastor, at the last meeting, 
we now offer to leave all difficulties between our pastor and us to a Council 
of Churches, mutually chosen by our pastor and us ; or to a Council of 
Churches, half to be chosen by our pastor anjj the Church who adhere to 
him, and half by us ; or to a Council to be chosen half by the aggrieved, 
and half by the rest of the Church. And if either of these proposals be 
accepted of or consented to, we desire the time for such Council's meet- 
ing may now be appointed, and the Churches sent to as soon as may be. 

Instead of acting directly upon this very explicit offer, the Church 
passed the following vote : 



65 

"At a legal Church meeting it was voted unanimously in the allirma- 
live, June 6th, 1744, — That whereas, several of our bretiireii in the first 
Church in Newbury have separated themselves Ironi communion with 
said Church, it is desired that said separated bretjiren would give in their 
reasons to said Church why or for what reasons they have separated, at 
the next meeting ; every separate member to give in his reasons in partic- 
ular by himself." 

At the next meeting, June 13th, several of the brethren appeared and 
gave their reasons, but the Church dissolved the meeting without passing 
a vote. The proposal of the pastor, so explicitly accepted and renewed 
by the aggrieved, was not acted on, yet the aggrieved were still held 
chargeable with having rejected it. 

It was on the ground of a supposed rejection of this proposal that the 
Council, subsequently called by the Church and pastor, declared the 
conduct of the aggrieved and that of the exparte Council which had sanc- 
tioned their proceedings, irregular, — of course on the ground of facts 
which the aggrieved explicitly deny, and of which their own account is 
contained in the text. Of the resultof the Church's Council the aggrieved 
say : " This Council justified the pastor further, we believe, than the 
Church expected, and no wonder, considering the foundation the}' pro- 
ceeded on." 



(i) The following account is copied from the records of the First Church 
in Newbury : 

" At the same day, (Feb. 11, 174.5-6,) the Church taking into con- 
sideration the conduct of the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Parsons, of Lyme, in 
Connecticut, in preaching to a number of the brethren withdrawn from 
this and the neighboring Churches, voted as follows : 

"1. That they are of opinion it is disorderly and matter of offence to 
them for any minister to ofiiciate as a minister on the Lord's day among 
those people that have withdrawn from this Church and the Churches in 
the neighborhood. 

»' 2. That it is their duty to signify to the Reverend Mr. Jonathan 
Parsons, that as a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ they are offended with 
him for his officiating on Lord's day to any of the brethren of this and the 
neighboring Churches. 

" 3. That if he does not refrain it is their duty to exhibit a complaint 
against him, as walking disorderly, to the particular Church that he stands 
related to.- 

" 4. That inasmuch as the brethren withdrawn from us, and other 
Churches in the neighborhood, seem disposed to have a minister set over 
them, and may possibly effect it under their present circumstances, though 
it be greatly contrary to the rule and order of the Gospel, and inasmuch as 
they seem to affect the said Mr. Parsons, who by reason of misconduct, as 
we understand, has rendered himself unacceptable to the people he has 
had the charge of, that it is their duty to inquire into the matter of his 
offence, and what he has to recommeiid him to the esteem and acceptance 
of any people as a minister ofthe Gospel." 



56 

(c) The course of proceedings at Lyme were exceedingly embarrassing 
and complicated. A pretty just view of the merits of the case may be obtain- 
ed from manuscript documents preserved among the descendants of Mr. 
Parsons. One source of embarrassment in settling the difficulties, arose 
from the fact that Mr. Parsons, at the request of his people, as well as in 
conformity to his own judgment, explicitly renounced, at his ordination, 
the Saybrook platform, by which a large part of the neighboring Churches 
were governed. He thought that Constitution defective in several 
respects, but was especially averse to the right which it was understood 
to accord to the civil government of interfering in the affairs of the Church . 
The peculiarity of his position, however, gave rise to many misunder- 
standings. 

The following testimony from two neighboring ministers, pastors of the 
two other parishes in the same place, who must have known thoroughly 
all the circumstances of the case, from the beginning, is sufficiently 
explicit and full. After recapitulating the result of the Council they 
proceed thus : 

" Now we, the subscribers, ministers of Lyme, above said, do heartily 
join in the recommendation above mentioned, and freely declare that 
we verily believe, and that upon much acquaintance with the whole 
affivirs of the long subsisting difficulties that have been in that Church 
and society, that our dear brother, Mr. Parsons, has been injuriously 
treated, and much wronged in his character, by some, and that there is 
no just bar, that we know of, in the way of his usefulness, nor in the 
way of his administering as a minister of Christ among any people that 
shall call him thereto, as ho hath always been gladly received by us 
and our Churches, as often as we have had the opportunity of his occa- 
sional labors among us. 

GEORGE GRISWOLD, 
GEORGE BECKVVITH. 

Lyme, October 24, 1745." 

(d) The following extract from Mr. Parsons' journal, will serve to throw 
light on the reasons of the position which this Church at first assumed : 

Sept. 12, 1746. I spent most of the day with Mr. Jewett, of Rowley, and 
Mr. Daniel Rogers, of Ipswich. Had much discourse with them about 
the state of the Churches, and particularly about the state of this Church. 
I asked them what it was proper to do. Whether it was best to seek in a 
public way for the communion of the Churches by a Council, &c. Mr. 
Jewett replied, that he did not see any necessity for it, nor any advantage 
it would be to us on a temporal account, because, respecting being freed 
from rates, as long as the Court were of the same way of thinking as 
they be now, they will find means enough to deny any petition of this 
people, till they are forced to grant it; and then if we should call a Council 
and ministers should come, it would probably break their own Churches 
to pieces, and if they run such a risk and declared us a well established 
Church, it would give us the public communion of but fow Churches. 
But if we were united to go forward as we were, a little while, we sliould 
find prejudices wear off. Mr. Rogers said he was of the same mind in the 



57 

main, but added tliat lie thought it our hounden duty to continue as we 
were, independent of" otiier Ciiurchi's in Church discipline ; for, said he, it 
is one principle that 3'our Church went out upon, that they and many 
others were oppressed, and the discipline of the Churches so sunk, they 
could not have any further relief. Now, said he, there are many others 
tliat are oppressed, and stand in great need of relief, but are not likely to 
have it if you don't help them. But if you don't abide independent, in 
point of discipline, you can't relieve them; whereas if you continue as you 
are, you may soon have several Churches, round about, that may unite 
with yours in a consociation or presbytery, which will be much better 
than any other way. 

(e) The following propositions were presented and severally acted upon : 

Proposals respecting the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Parsons, offered to the new 
Church and Congregation in Newbury, at their meeting in the meeting- 
house, March 19, 1745, viz : 

1. Whether the Church, notwithstanding all those representations, 
which have been spread abroad, tending to disserve Mr. Parson's charac- 
ter and hurt his usefulness, is in full charity with him, and from the 
judgment of the Council, now read, with the letters recommendatory, 
whether this Church is fully satisfied that his moral, religious and minis- 
terial character is, or ought in justice to be esteemed, blameless and 
unsullied among the Churches of Christ. Voted in the affirmative. 

2. Whether the Congregation that usually meets in this house to attend 
and uphold the vi'orship of God here, are well satisfied from the judgment 
of Council, and letters recommendatory now read, that Mr. Parsons' moral 
character ought to be esteemed blameless and good, and whether they so 
account of him, as of a minister of Christ. Voted in the affirmative. 

3. Whether the congregation that usually meets in this house, to attend 
and encourage the worship of God here, do desire Mr. Parsons to settle 
among them, and minister in holy things, as a minister of Christ to them, 
and whether they will, upon condition of his accepting the call of the 
Church and Congregation, submit themselves to his administrations in this 
place — the same being agreeable to the faith and constitution upon which 
this Church is settled. Voted in the affirmative. 

4. Whether this Church is willing, from the acquaintance they have 
with Mr. Parsons, and the letters from the ministers and churches now 
read to them, to admit him to their communion, in all the special ordi- 
nances of the Gospel, to esteem him as one of the members of the body oi 
Christ in a particular relation to this Church, as one in good standing, 
having an equal right, in all respects, to all privileges with any other 
member of the Church. Voted in the affirmative. 

5. Whether this Church looks upon Mr. Parsons, already authorized 
by solemn separation to the work of the Gospel ministry, to do the 
whole work of a Gospel minister in any particular Church of Christ that 
desires the same of him, and are willing to put themselves under his pas- 
toral care. Voted in the affirmative. 

6. Whether this Church do now publicly renew their call to Mr. Parsons, 
desiring him to take the oversight of this part of Christ's flock in particu- 
lar. Voted in the affirmative. 

7. Whether upon consideration that Mr. Parsons does publicly accept of 
their call, this Church do submit to him under Christ, as their pastor. 



58 

vested with a Gospel rig-ht over this Church to read, expound, and teach 
the word, to administer the seals of the new covenant to them, and the 
ordinance of holy discipline, according to the constitution of this Church. 
Voted in the affirmative. 

(/) The Church early entertained the design of uniting itself with a 
regular presbytery. On the fifth of April, 1746, a resolution was adopted 
to that effect ; but for reasons not stated, the subject was at a subsequent 
meeting, postponed. In the month of September, 1748, the Church voted 
unanimously to unite with the Presbytery of Boston, of which Mr. Moor- 
head, of Boston, and Mr. McGregoire, were prominent members. The 
record of this vote is as follows : 

" Sept. 15, 1748. At a meeting of the collective body of the Church, 
after sermon and prayers, it was debated whether all were freely willing 
to be annexed to Mr. Moorhead's presbytery, and after discoursing, in love 
and calmness upon it, for more than an hour, a question was proposed and 
deliberately read over, three times, in the following words, viz : Whether 
upon mature deliberation this Church does consent to be annexed to Mr. 
Moorhead's presbytery, in case said presbytery can satisfy the elders of the 
Church respecting their coming off from the presbytery to which they 
formerly belonged, appear really desirous of receiving us, make no diffi- 
culty about our choosing our elders annually, don't bind any respecting 
the form of administering and receiving the sacraments, appear to be 
hearty friends to the great doctrines of Grace as contained in the Westmin- 
ster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, and hearty friends to the power 
of Godliness." 

The vote passed unanimously, and the next spring we find the elders 
of the Church appointing one of their number as a representative to the 
presbytery above named. 

(o-) In a petition to the general Court, dated October 2[), 1748, they say 
as follows : 

" Amongst other things it is alleged that the petitioners are of the 
Presbyterian persuasion. Your humble petitioners beg leave to sug- 
gest that they never intended because they were Presbyterians, which 
respects the form of Church government only, (according to the general 
understanding of the words,) that therefore they could not attend the 
worship of God in a Congregational Church; but their difficulties are of a 
higher nature and concern doctrinal points, which bind their consciences, 
otherwise, upon this first point, they had never troubled your excellencies 
and honors." 

In the preface to their platform of Government, the fathers of the 
Church declare, " We shall readily join with those Churches that explicitly 
declare they have not departed from the ancient faith." 

In the year 1794, 

" The Church voted unanimously that we still adhere to the Constitu- 
tion of this Church, and our connexion with the presbytery, and desire 
further to hold ministerial and Church communion with such other 
ministers and Churches as are united with us in the great fundamental 



doctrin.'^s of the Gospel, in the same manner as heretofore practised by 
this Church." 

In conformity with these principles, this Church has been accnstomcd 
to invite her sister Churches of the congregational denomination, to act in 
Council with the Presbytery, in the ordination of her ministers, and to 
reciprocate the same friendly aid in answer to invitations from them. She 
dismisses and recommends her members freely to all sucii of these 
Churches as are sound in the faith, and as freely receives members from 
them on their recommendation. 

The old form of recommending a member was as follows : 

"Voted to recommend to the communion of the Church of Christ 

in sealing ordinances in any Christian assembly where God, in his provi- 
dence, may call him, provided they adhere to the doctrines of the 
reformation, renouncing Arminianism on the one hand, and Antinomi- 
anisni on the other." 



(/() The application from the brethren from the third Church, was first 
presented June 9, 1746. 

" The brethren chose to think of the affair a little while, and take more 
opportunity to ask advice of ministers. Thert^fore, it was desired that 
Elders John Brown and Benjamin Knight should go to Bradford, where a 
Council was to set the next week, and advise with some of the minis- 
ters about the matter. I hope the Lord will direct us in the right Way, 
and make us all of one mind." — Parsons' Journal. 

The request was not granted till the 16th of October following. 



(/) The names of most of the men whov/ere concerned in the first estab- 
lishment of this religious society, may be ascertained, I presume, from the 
following subscription paper, copied, without the sums annexed, from the 
original, by John Brown, the first clerk : 

" Upon the mature consideration of the many Difficultys we have long 
laboured under on Religious accounts, we look upon it, for many and 
weighty Reasons, our Duty, & not only so, but that it would be much for 
cur Spiritual advantage & edification, and for the advancement of the 
Interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom among us to unite in a New Society 
for the Settlement of a Gospel Ministry among us, and It having pleased 
God in his Providence to give us an opportunity of Hearing tjie Rev. 
Mr. Jonathan Parsons whereby we have had some tastes of his Ministerial 
abilities and Qualifications, from which we can't but think if it sliould please 
God to incline him to settle among us in the Ministry, we have a pros- 
pect opened to us of obtaining these blessed Ends, looking upon it allso 
our Duty to provide an handsome suitable Support for such a Ministry : 
Upon the Rev. Mr. Parsons accepting our Invitation, We tiie Subscribers 
do hereby for ourselves covenant engage & agree to pay for the 
Support of the said Rev'd Mr. Parsons yearly & every year while he 
continues in the Ministry among us : the several Sums which we have 
herein subscribed for, We also covenant and agree to pay towards his 



60 



Settlement the several Sums which we have subscribed for, as they are 
set in tlie following Lists which are both in the Old Tenor as witness our 
hands affixed thereto — 



Newbury, Nov'r 25th, 

Thomas Pike, 
Timothy Toppan, 
Moses Bradstreet, 
Enoch Sawyer, 
Enoch Titcomb, 
Charles Peirce, 
Daniel Noyes, 
Richard Toppan, 
John Brown, 
William Brown, 
Nathaniel Atkinson, 
Joseph Atkinson, 
Edward Prcsbury, 
Enoch Toppan, 
Joseph Hidden, 
Ebenezcr Little, 
Jonathan Beck, 
Benjamin Rogers, 
Spencer Bennett, 
Benj. Moody, 
Stephen Kent, 
Parker Noyes, 
Enoch Titcomb, Jr., 
Joshua Greenlcaf, 
John Greenleaf, 
Timothy Greenleaf, 
Robert Mitchel, 
Benj. Frothingham, 
George Goodliue, 
Joseph Goodhue, 
Isaac Johnson, 
Jonatlian Knight, 
William Noyes, 
Daniel Harris, 



1745. 

Benj. Norton, 
Samuel Cresey, 
Jonathan Greenleaf, 
Nehemiah Wheeler, 
William Harris, 
Benj. Peirce, 
Simon Noyes, 
Samuel Toppan, 
Samuel Long, 
Moses Coffin, 
Jonathan Plumer, 
John Plumer, Jr., 
Samuel Harris, 
Silvanus Plumer, 
John Poor, 
Henry Titcomb, 
John Berry, 
Philip Coinbes, 
Jacob Knight, 
Moses Peirce, 
Nathaniel Knap, 
Moses Todd, 
Eleazear Keazear, 
John Fisher, 
Zechariah Nowell, 
Joseph Bayley, 
Joseph Clieney, 
James SafTord, 
Cutting Pettingle, Jr., 
Henry Lunt, Jr., 
Cutting Pettingle, 
Samuel Pettingle, 
Moses Pettingle, 
Richard Hale, 



Samuel Hale, 
Moses Noyes, 
Daniel Gooden, 
Nathan Peabody, 
John Lowden, 
Ralph Cross, 
John Norton, 
John Harris, 
Joshua Combes, 
Joshua Greenleaf, Jr., 
Nathan Brown, 
Lemuel Jenkins, 
Nicholas Pettingle, 
Daniel Woster, 
Joseph Couch Jr., 
Daniel Lunt, Jr., 
John Harbut, 
Samuel Shackford, 
Alexander Morrison, 
Henry Sewall, 
Edmund Morse, 
Daniel Richards, 
Daniel Wells, 
Samuel Todd, 
Moses Ordway, 
Daniel Sanborn, 
Benj. Peirce, Jr., 
Joseph Russell, 
James Mackmiliion, 
Samuel Peirce, 
Benj. Knight, 
Bez'd Knight, 
Robert Cole, 
John Pike, Jr. 



A true Copy from the Originall. Taken this 16th of Dec'r, 1745, 
.^s Attest. JOHN BROWN, Clerk. 



(j) In an almanac journal, kept by Mr. Caleb Greenleaf, are to be found 
the following entries : 

1756. " July 5, we began to raise our meeting-house and finished it the 
7th, and not one oath heard and nobody hurt." "On the 7th, the Rev. 
John Morehead, of Boston, preached the first sermon in it from 2d Chroni- 
cles, 7 : 12. The first sermon preached in our new meeting-house was on 
Aug. 15. The text was the whole of 122d Psalm." 1759. " Sept 10, Mr. 
Samuel Pettingell fell from the steeple of Mr. Parsons' meeting-house, 
which was this year erected, and was killed instantly." — Coffin's History. 



61 

{h) The followinjf letter fi-oin Mr. Parsons to Mr. Sproat, contains the 
only account I have seen of this design : 
" Rev. and Dear Brother : 

An late exchange has had a wonderful influence among many of our 
people, which has produced the following proposals, for the trial of the 
minds of the congregation, viz : ' Proposals for calling and settlino- the 
Rev. Mr. James Sproat as colleague pastor with the Rev. Mr. Parsons, 
of Newbur3'port. Conditions. — That the building in Newbury first par- 
ish be finished with as many pews in proportion to its bigness, as are 
in Mr. Parsons' meeting-hovise. The finishing to be by the sale of 
the pews under the conduct of that part of the congregation living 
in said parish. 2d, that the taxation of pews, polls and estates in said 
new building, or belonging to it, shall bear the same proportion with 
that in the other house. 3d, that said Messrs. Parsons and Sproat be 
esteemed as ministers equally belonging to both houses, they agreeing as 
to times of preaching in the one and the other. 4th, that the whole body 
be one particular Church, governed as Mr. Parsons' has been heretofore, 
and that the proportionable part of the elders be always among those that 
belonged to said first parish, being chosen by the whole body. 5th, that 
those who do or may belong to either of said houses, do submit themselves 
to a taxation, as mentioned above, for an equal support of both the minis- 
ters. Dated Newburyport, October 26, 1767. The subscribers hereby 
declare their approbation of tJie proposal of such settlement, and of the 
condition above mentioned, and desire the affair may be prosecuted.' 

Tlie above is now prosecuting, and it is desired you would not engage 
with any other people for four weeks from the date of this letter. After all 
1 can't advise anything in my difiicult situation, but can assure you no man 
would be more agreeable as colleague than you." 

From a comparison of dates, I am led to suppose that the new house refer- 
red to in this letter, was the one described by Coffin in his history, as hav- 
ing been raised and boarded July, 1766, opposite the old meeting-house in 
the first parish in Newbury, and which was never finished, but fell to the 
ground in a violent storm, February, 1771. Many of the movers in that 
project were, it seems, members of Mr. Parsons' society, held to the sup- 
port of a ministry in the First Parish, which they conscientiously disap- 
proved. Mr. Parsons' Journal shows that much disorder prevailed in the 
religious affairs of the two towns about this period. 



(/) The character of Mr. Parsons had some marked faults as well as mark- 
ed excellencies. Tradition says he was at times exceedingly passionate, but 
that when the first impulse was over, no man could be more penitent. An an- 
ecdote like this has been related of him. On one occasion a bill was presented 
him for payment, which at first struck him as exorbitant, and he very an- 
grily and peremptorily refused. No sooner, however, had the claimant 
returned to his place of business than Mr. Parsons entered, and the follow 
ing dialogue ensued : " Have you seen Mr. Parsons this morning ? " " Yes, 
certainly, I saw you at your house, and presented your bill." " It wasn't 
Mr. Parsons, it was the devil. I'll settle the bill." It is presumed that by 

6 



62 

thus charging his excited feelings to Satanic agency, Mr. Parsons did not 
intend to excuse but rather to humble himself. 

(to) The following extracts from Greenleaf 's " Sketches of Ecclesiasti- 
cal History," will serve to throw some light upon the early Presbyterial re- 
lations of this Church. 

" The first Presbytery in New England, was constituted in Londonderry, 
April 16, 1745, by Rev. John Morehead of Boston, Rev. David M'Gregor 
of Londonderry, and Rev. Robert Abercrombie of Pelham, with James 
M'Kean, Alexander Conkey and James Heughs, elders. It was called the 
' Boston Presbytery.' " In three years, they were joined by Rev. Jonathan 
Parsons of Newburyport, and after that, by one or two others, and so con- 
tinued for nearly ten years. There were a considerable number of Presby- 
terian Churches, lying on both sides of the Merrimack, in Massachusetts and 
New Hampshire, and a few in Maine. The presbyterial records appear to 
have been regularly kept till 1751. A chasm then appears, and nothing is 
recorded in the original book until Oct. 24, 1770. The Presbytery at this 
time consisted of twelve congregations. Measures were taken for dividing 
it into three, and forming a Synod. After more than four years, during 
which some others were added to the number, at a meeting at Seabrook, 
May 31, 1775, a division was amicably agreed on as follows : that Messrs. 
Jonathan Parsons of Newburyport, Nathaniel Whitaker, D. D. of Salem, 
Samuel Perley of Seabrook, Alexander M'Lean of Bristol, Maine, and the 
congregation at Boston, then vacant by the death of Mr. Morehead, together 
with Rev. Benjamin Balch, and the vacancies within their bounds be the 
' Eastern Presbytery,' called the ' Presbytery of Salem.' That Messrs. Da- 
vid M'Gregor of Londonderry, Daniel Mitchell of Pembroke, Simon Wil- 
liams of Windham, and John Strickland of Oakham, with the congregation 
at Petersburgh, and the other vacancies within their bounds be the middle 
presbytery, called the Presbytery of Londonderry. That Messrs. John 
Houston and Moses Baldwin, with their congregations at Bedford and King- 
ston, the vacant congregations of Blandford, Pelham and Colrain, with 
Aaron Hutchinson, Nathan Merril, George Gilmore, and Joseph Patrick, 
candidates, be the western presbytery, called the Presbytery of Palmer. 
The three presbyteries being thus organized were then formed into one 
body called the Synod of New England, and held their first meeting at Lon- 
donderry, September 4, 1776. 

A few years previous to this, the Rev. John Murray had removed from 
Philadelphia and settled at Boothbay, and with Rev. Mr. Prince of Barring- 
ton, and Rev. Mr. M'Ewins of New Market, formed another Presbytery, but 
no connexion was ever formed between this body and tlie- Synod of New- 
England." 

The Presbytery last referred to, was called the Presbytery of the 
Eastward, and with this Mr. Parsons and his Church, having withdrawn 
from their connection with the former body, now became united. 



(m) At the close of the first half century from his settlement. Rev. Dr. 
Dana, being then pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in this town, 
delivered, in compliance witli a special request, a very excellent and appro- 



63 

priato discourso, llio following correspondenco having previously passed be- 
tween him and the pastor and session of his former cliargo : 

Newburyport, Nov. 23, 1844. 
The Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D. • 

Dear Sir, — With the full concurrence, as we believe, of the First Pres- 
byterian Church and Society, to whose service in the gospel, the energies 
of your youth were devoted, we present you our sincere thanks for the 
very appropriate and excellent discourse delivered at our place of worship, 
on the semi-centennial anniversary of your ordination. — B(>lieving that its 
usefulness may be still further extended, we would also respectfully 
request a copy for publication. 

J. F. STEARNS, Pastor of the Church. 
THOMAS M. CLARK, ) .. .,, ^ ., c ■ 
PAUL SIMPSON \ Committee ot tlie Session. 



To the Reverend Pastor, and the Session of the First Presbyterian Church. 

My Dear Brethren, — As your cordial invitation, to preach a semi- 
centennial sermon in your house of worship, left me no choice, so your 
present request, though dictated, probably, by a too partial judgment, is 
equally decisive with me. I therefore submit the discourse, with all its 
imperfections, to your disposal. 

Whether it shall, or shall not be found worthy of the public attention, it 
will at least signify to the beloved people of my former and my present 
charge, what were the first, the last, and the dearest wishes of their affec- 
tionate pastor, in their behalf. 

Believe me, my dear brethren, very sincerely yours, 

DANIEL DANA. 

Newburyport, Nov. 25, 1844. 

In the evening of the same day there was a delightful gathering, at the 
liouse of Dr. Dana, of friends from all religious societies and denominations 
among us, who thronged thither to pay him their respects and congratula- 
lations. Few, it is believed, went empty handed, and among the sons of 
Newburyport in other places, some who could not be present, claimed the 
privilege of sending their free will offering. 



(o) The settlement of all difficulties previously existing between this 
Church and the First Church in Newbury is due chiefly to the efforts of the 
present pastor of that Church the Rev. Leonard Withington. Unwilling to 
take the charge of a people with whom any of the neighboring Churches 
were not in full charity, he insisted before calling the Council for his ordina- 
tion, that an effort should be made to secure amicable relations between the 
two Churches. Accordingly committees were appointed on both sides, and 
after mutual conference and investigation the following transactions took 
place. 

By The First Presbyterian Church in Newburyport, 

" Voted, that from a careful oxainination of tlie records, it dors not appear 
tiiat this Church has at any time, recent or remote, affixed any ecclesias- 



64 

lical censure to Uio First Church in Nev/bury, or to any individuals belong- 
ing to it." 

Thereupon the First Church in Newbury, 

" At a meeting of the Church, October 16, 1816, Voted, That all misun- 
derstandings and infelicities wliatever, which may have existed between 
this Church and the First Presbyterian Churcli in Ncwburyport, be from 
this time buried in perpetual oblivion, and we on our part cheerfully agree 
and engage that the two Churches shall mutually treat and be treated by 
each other as Christian Churches, agreeably to the principles of the gospel 
and the established usages of the Churches of New England." 

On the same day the First Presbyterian Church in Newburyport passed 
the same vote unanimously in the same words, and communicated the fact 
to the First Church in Newbury by their committee as follows : 

" Newburyport, Oct. 17, 1816. 

Dear Sir, — It is with much pleasure that I can inform you that I am en- 
trusted by the First Presbyterian Church in this place to give you notice 
that said Church unanimously adopted the vote recommended to them by 
their committee relative to an amicable understanding with your Church, 
which I hope will be of long continuance and for the glory of God in the 
building up of his kingdom. 

With sentiments of esteem and affection, 

I am, dear Sir, your brother, 

THOMAS M. CLARK. 

Hon. Eben March, &c." 

Since the adoption of this mutual agreement, no Churches have been 
more happy and undisturbed in their fellowship than this once rebellious 
daughter and offended parent. 

(jj) The number of names signed to the covenant at its first adoption, was 
46, viz : 24 males and 22 females. The following statistical table will show 
the whole number who have been admitted during the ministry of eacli of 
the several pastors, with the annual average during each, omitting fractions. 



Ministers. 


JYo Yrs. 


Whole JVo. 


.4?IM. ^V 


Parsons, 


30 


303 


10 


Murray, 


12 


88 


7 


Dana, 


26 


208 


8 


Williams, 


6 


8!) 


15 


Proudfit, 


r> 1-2 


218 


39 


Present Pastor, 


10 


1G4 


16 



The whole number, as far as can be ascertained, during the ccirtury, is 
1160. 



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